The Path Anew
by 11JJ11
Summary: Red has spent his whole life locked away in a Team Rocket base, but as Mewtwo rampages, Red finds a small chance to escape from his father. He makes his way to Pallet Town, where he meets a hyper girl: Aoi, a haughty rival: Forest, and a Pokemon that will lead him to a new life. But Team Rocket is hunting him for his special ability, Red finds that he can continue to run, or fight.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: This story will mention child abuse later on.**

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**Since most of my fanfictions are about Ash, I decided to start a story I could work on when I'm not in the mood to write about Ash. So here's a story about his game counterpart, Red! (I know just how much you "_love"_ Red, Pikachulover14... xD ). I had a similar idea for a story like this while back, but I scrapped it. I stumbled across the idea for this story once more, and I have decided to rework it, and ended up with this chapter. Enjoy!**

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_Bang!_

The blast echoed throughout the base, the sturdy walls crumbling like paper under the intense psychic pressure. Alarms wailed throughout the vicinity as the remaining laboratories burst into flames, both people and Pokemon rushing out of the ruined buildings, scattering to avoid the falling debris.

And rising up from the destruction was a sleek, purple creature. Draped in psychic energy, the Pokemon hovered above the remains of the buildings, watching the fire slowly eat away at the falling structures. He raised his three-fingered hand, releasing another psychic blast on the compound below, eyes merciless, anger radiating.

And down below this scene, darting in and out of the chaos, was a boy.

The thin teen had raven black hair and pale skin, and he kept glancing back as if he were being pursued. He had a pair of deep red eyes, which were blinking back a few tears as he ran. His clothes reflected the buildings around them, burned and in tatters.

The boy scampered around a corner of a half-collapsed wall, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. One arm clutched his shoulder, while the other just laid as his side. He was visibly shaking, coughing as he inhaled the smoky air. For a minute it seemed he wasn't going to move from that spot, even as the sounds of the creature echoed across the early morning sky, screams of its victims feeling the air as the labs crumbled in on themselves. The boy closed his eyes, visibly shaking.

It wasn't until he heard sounds of footsteps coming his way that his eyes snapped open, wide in fear. He inched back, slowly stumbling to his feet as an urgent voice came closer. The boy withdrew down the ruins of the hallway, pulling himself around to the other side of the wall, trying to listen over the sound of his thundering heart.

"I'm looking for him, sir!" The voice hastily said, "I know someone said that they saw him this way, but they're panicked! Who knows what's going through their minds now that horrible abomination is free again! You remember what that thing did last time it escaped! You should withdraw all forces before we lose everyone at the base-"

"_The boy is the only one that can approach Project M2,"_ A deep voice cut him off, voice crackling as if coming through a radio. The boy froze up as he heard the familiar voice, skin going even paler than it already was. The boy didn't dare move even as the footsteps came closer, he was sure that they could already hear his racing heart, "_Your first and only priority is to find Red."_

Red shuddered at the sound of his name, wrapping his arms around himself. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide... He never could, he was always found... He choked back a sob as he realized what was going to happen. They were going to find him! Then all of the hurt would come... The unbearable pain... He couldn't handle it again- _not again!_

The boy sank to the ground, covering his head as he curled up, waiting for the man to find him. Waiting for him to drag him back... _Help,_ The boy thought weakly in pure terror, _Anyone, please!_

"I'll find him, Boss, sir!" The man swore, "I won't let you down!" He clicked the radio off, and the sound of his footsteps could be heard has he walked away, then followed by a crash as Project M2 collapsed another building with its psychic powers.

After a minute of sitting there in stunned shock, Red realized that he had been holding his breath. He took in several large gasps of air, it was filled with smoke and dust, but it was air. He rocked back and forth, clearly surprised that the man had moved on. He had a chance still...

"Geo?" A small voice asked from next to him, and the boy jumped back. A small, rocky creature was sitting next to him, supporting itself on two bulky arms. The Geodude stared up at the boy, concern in it's brown eyes. He raised one arm, managing to stay balanced on the other as he placed a hand on the boy's leg. Red flinched at the contact, his bright crimson eyes not leaving the Geodude's as he studied the creature.

After a moment Red began to relax, as if he tell that the rock type meant no harm. Geodude smiled at him, then gestured away from the wall, wanting the boy to follow him. Red hesitated, but he realized he had nowhere else to go. Either he could sit here and wait for Project M2 to find him, or for one of the men to come and get him. He didn't know any way out of here, his only chance was to trust the Geodude.

He hesitantly followed the Geodude into the rubble of the building, constantly looking back over his shoulder. One hand still held his shoulder, but the pain was starting to fade, and after a minute he slowly lowered his arm as he trailed behind the Geodude. Occasionally he saw someone running away from the destruction caused by M2, but no one noticed him, and most importantly there was no one following him. Still, a look of fear never faded from his eyes.

"Shrew? Sandshrew sand?" A new voice asked, causing Red to flinch once more.

"Geo," Geodude replied, approaching a small tan creature. The little Sandshrew dashed up to the Geodude, prancing around him happily, then raced over to Red. He went still as the Sandshrew sniffed his ankle, and she let out a cheerful squeal, then pointed to something on the ground.

The Geodude peered down into the hole, which looked freshly dug, then quickly up at Red. He realized that this is where the Geodude must have come from, since it clearly wasn't owned by someone at the base. The Sandshrew dove into the hole that she had been widening, burrowing in deep, small chirps echoing up towards them.

The Geodude slipped into the tunnel after her, paused, then gestured for Red to follow. The teenager stood there for one moment, hesitating. But the sound as the destruction around him was enough to urge him to enter. He had to crawl on his hands and knees backwards in order to fit in it, since it was dug by small ground types, but it was now his path to freedom.

After a minute of tunneling downwards, and getting stuck twice, the tunnel opened up to a large, level cave. Red stumbled into it, clearly glad to be free of the small tunnel. After managing to brush away some of the dirt that clung to his clothes he looked around at the large cave, surprised that this had been under the base. Red suspected that it had been created by an Onix, due to the size and round shape. The Geodude took a deep breath, like the earthy smell was fresh mountain air, then it began to go through the cave. The Sandshrew pranced about him, and Red slowly followed behind them.

For once a pulse of excitement raced through him, no one else knew about this place, and there was no way anyone from the base would be small enough to fit into the tunnel after him. He was safe!

But as this thought entered his mind, doubt immediately crawled right back in. Memories of what could happen if he was found crowded his mind, and the consequences would follow. Red bit his lip and began to subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the thin web of scars that ran down it.

"Geo geo!" The Geodude called, a ways up the cave, and it pointed to a small puddle of water. Red jogged to catch up, and he looked at the puddle. Red fell to his knees, and cupped his hands, taken a small sip. The water was gritty and tasted like dirt, but Red drank it greedily. The chaotic night and morning had left him more than thirsty, and the water was a welcomed refresher, despite the taste.

"Shrew!" The Sandshrew came up next to him, drinking as well.

"Dude, geo geo!" The Geodude encouraged him to keep moving when he leaned against the wall of the cave, exhausted. He looked at the Geodude, not quite sure why the Pokemon was helping him, but he didn't disobey. Red took one more sip of the water, then scuttled after the Geodude and Sandshrew. Some dust and dirt rained from the cavern ceiling above, causing Red to look up at it uncertainly, would it collapsed on them?

The Geodude growled threateningly to a few Digletts and other Sandshrews that were in the cave as they approached. The wild Pokemon eyed Red wary, as if they might attack. Red went still as they stared. The wild Pokemon blinked, then shrugged after a moment, forging in the dirt. The Geodude then continued on.

"Geo," Geodude said, pointing up ahead and to the right. Another tunnel, similar to the one they came in, was off to the side, tunneling upwards towards the surface. Red looked at it, he would be able to fit through, if it stayed the same width the whole way up. His stomach twisted as he realized his time to leave the safety of the cave had come.

Red turned and bowed slightly, as if trying to thank the Geodude. The Pokemon seemed surprised by the gesture, but waved a rocky hand in farewell. The Sandshrew leapt up onto the Geodude's head, letting out a few chirps. Red turned towards the tunnel, took a deep breath, and slipped into the narrow tunnel and wormed his way up.

The tunnel narrowed as his continued upwards. Red stucked in his stomach, sacrificing precious air, and continued the climb- until his head struck something hard. Panic rushed through Red, and claustrophobia set in. Had the tunnel collapsed? Would he be able to get back down? Was there any other way out of the cave, or would he have to go back to the base?

His hand pushed against the rock blocking the tunnel, and it shifted upwards. Red paused, and pushed once more with both hands. The rock slid to the side, and morning light streamed into the tunnel. Red pulled himself out of the hole, taking in a few breaths of fresh air. He fell to the ground, looking up at the gray sky. He laid in the field for a moment, the events of today racing through his mind before he finally managed to drag himself to his feet. He frowned at the rock, and shifted it back so it covered the tunnel, it must have served as some sort of door for the rock and ground types.

The rising sun glared down on Red, and after being in a cave, it seemed even more intense. Red dug in hand into his jacket pocket, and pulled out one of his few possessions, a hat.

The red and white cap was in mint condition, but it was very old. Red have had it from... from since before he had been brought to the base. Unlike the rest of his clothes, it wasn't covered in dirt and burn marks. He plopped it on his head, and for the first time in his life he appreciated the rim for keeping the sun out of his eyes.

He glanced around, trying to get a sense of direction. Off to his right he could see smoke rising in the distance, the burning remains of what was left of the base. Red turned so the smoke was facing his back, and hiked in the complete opposite direction. He didn't care where he was heading, as long as it wasn't there.

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After two days of his new found freedom, Red was sick.

He didn't know if it was because of the elements he was now exposed to, the water he drank, or the few berries he had eaten. Or maybe it had just been his luck and he caught a virus after being on his own for the first time.

Red stumbled along, pausing to throw up the little food in his stomach. A shudder ran through him, a foul taste lining his mouth. Everything hurt, and his limbs trembled with the desire for food. No Pokemon crossed his path, mostly due to the amount of fear he was radiating. He didn't know where to go or how to survive. Sometimes a Rattata would drift in his wake, dropping a berry or two, then it would dash off. He was thankful for the food, but he couldn't keep anything down.

On the third day Red collapsed, his vision blurring. His head was humming with pain, and he could do nothing but lay there. Tears poured down his eyes, thirst scratching at his throat, yet the only noise he made were several whimpers. Several Pidgeys that were flying over head paused, then landed around him. They lightly pecked at his leg curiously, cooing softly. He shifted, causing them to scatter. After a few minutes they began to approaching him again, cocking their heads.

Red looked at them, only brown smudges in his muddled vision, but he could sense their presence. He silently plead for their help- for anything. The Pokemon glanced at each other, then at Red, then they flew off.

The last thing Red remembered was a large orange creature approaching him, with a blurred figure of a man leaping off of it.

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The next few days after the Pidgeys had found him were just a collection of vague of moments for Red as he slid in and out of consciousness. He remembered the sound of someone pounding on a door, "Mary! Mary open up!", and then being placed on something soft. There had been more voices, but their words were lost as he slipped back into sleep.

He remembered waking up, he didn't know how long later, but someone was carefully feeding him soup and water. He had chugged down the liquids with a ranovus hunger, before sliding off into sleep once more. Red was too exhausted to open his eyes, but his ears picked up every sound around him as he laid there. There was often gruff voice talking to a woman with a sweet voice, and despite him understanding every word he could never seem to comprehend what they were talking about.

Then there was the girl's voice. It was high pitched and annoying, in Red's opinion at least. It always seemed to come right next to him, whenever he was conscious: "Mom, will he wake up yet? Mom, his breathing is so quiet! Mom, is he dead?" And so on, with no end in sight.

After many days of darkness and sounds, Red finally found the strength to open his eyes. He let out a small groan as a soft light reached his gaze. He shifted, stretching his neck and limbs, which were stiff after laying down for so long.

"Mom!" The girl's voice gasped, causing Red to flinch, "He's moving!"

"Quiet Aoi," The sweet voice came, "You don't want to scare him."

Red slowly moved his head, gathering his surroundings. He was in was laying in a foreign bed, a soft pillow under his head and a thick blanket covering him. There was a lamp table by him, which was covered in medicine and dishes. He could faintly smell the same soup he had eaten... a few days earlier? Red didn't know for sure.

Sitting in a large chair was a girl, perhaps a year younger than Red. She had strawberry blonde hair and light skin. The most outstanding feature though was her eyes, bright, intense sky blue eyes. They were focused right on Red, and he averted his gaze, biting his lip. He had learned quickly that if someone was paying to much attention to you, that it wasn't a good thing.

Red tried to push himself into a sitting position, his bones aching from days without movement. After a failed attempt of sitting up he allowed himself to slid back down into the bed, and he stared up at the ceiling, memories rushing through his mind. He was no longer wearing his clothes he had ran off in, but blue flannel pajamas that barely fit him. He closed his eyes, something felt off, and then after a panicking moment he realized his hat was gone.

His eyes flickered around the room, over the girl and a woman leaning in the doorway, but nothing familiar met his gaze. His heart started racing, his hat was gone. The last thing he had from his mother was gone!

"Hello!" The girl said, bounding over to him, oblivious to his lost, "My name's Aoi! What's yours?" She sat down on the edge of the bed, right next to him. He tried to inch back, saying nothing, looking away.

She leaned over, peering at Red's face, "Hey," Aoi said, "I asked you a question, what's your name?"

Red turned away, pulling the blanket up in an attempt to cover his face.

"Aoi," The women said, and Red recognized her as the same person with the sweet voice, "Give him some space, he just woke up."

"But _Mom_, he's been here for so _long!"_ Aoi emphasized, dragging out some of her words. She jerked her head up to face her mother, "Ever since Professor Oak showed up here with him on his Dragonite I've been _dying_ to know who he is! You thought he was dead, you screamed, and the professor told you to calm down and then-"

"Yes, yes, I know. I was there," The women said tenderly, and she came over and gently guided Aoi away from the bed, then she turned towards Red, "I'm Mary, would you like something to eat?"

Red glanced up enough to look Mary in the eye, then looked back down, nodding slowly, shaking. Mary looked a lot like her daughter, light skin and strawberry blonde hair, but she had hazel eyes, not Aoi's bright blue ones. Mary smiled at Red, and left the room, and soon the clanking of dishes could be heard from down the hall.

Red kept his head down, but a shadow told him that Aoi was now standing next to the bed.

"Soo~ Where're you from?" She asked.

Silence.

"Come _on_, you just _got_ to tell me! Professor Oak said all these Pidgeys showed up at his lab freaking out, and so he and his Dragonite followed them, and they found you! You were half dead and you're clothes were all _burned_ up! What happened?"

More silence. Red didn't shift as he was bombarded with questions. He just needed to sit there, just wait, then he'd be excused-

Excused to where? A faint pulse of joy bloomed in him, he was longer _there_. Not anymore, and never again.

"Meowth got your tongue?" Aoi asked.

Red flinched at the word 'Meowth', but didn't reply.

"_Aoi,"_ Mary's voice warned, "Give him some space."

"Sure thing Mom!" Aoi chirped, and she scurried away as Mary came over, holding a tray of food. She set the food down on the lamp table, pushing older dishes away. She then approached Red, who stiffened as she placed her hands on his back, trying to guide him into a sitting position. After a moment of panic Red realized what she was doing, and allowed himself to sit up. His muscles screamed, but Red stayed quiet as pillows were propped up behind him to help him stay up.

Mary handed the tray to Red, which he took, and he picked up the fork. He quickly glanced at the two girls, then began to eat, keeping his head lowered the whole time as he quietly transferred the meal to his mouth.

No words were said while he ate, well, Aoi _tried _to say a few things, but a glare from her mother silenced her every time. The two girls didn't seem to realize that they were staring as he ate, but he offered no complaint. Red slowly pushed the tray away once he was done, and Mary reached out to take it.

"What's your name?" Mary asked sweetly as she placed the tray on the lamp table.

"That's what _I_ was trying to ask him!" Aoi cried, annoyed.

Red looked up at Mary, she looked down at him in concern as he didn't say a word. Red lowered his head once more.

"Are you scared of us?" Aoi asked as his silenced dragged on.

Mary placed a hand on Red's shoulder, and he flinched, cowering. Mary took a step back in surprise, the boy didn't change his position for a moment, then he uncertainly looked up at her. She was taken back as she saw the fear in the boy's bright red eyes.

She knelt so she was eye level with him, she sat there for a moment, trying to decide what to say. He looked away once more, clearly shaking, "Can- um, well, do you speak?" She finally decided to ask.

Red didn't make eye contact, but he shook his head.

"_You're a mute?"_ Aoi cried, "That's so sad! What's it like, not being able to talk?!"

Red and Mary looked at her for several moments.

"Oh," Aoi said as she realized the redundancy in her question. She rubbed the back of her head Mareep-ishly, "Sorry...?"

Mary turned her gaze back at Red, as if trying to decide something. She closed her eyes for a moment, then walked to the other side of the room, grabbing a bag off of the dresser. She approached Red once more, but much more slowly than before. She set the bag in front of him, "Here," She offered, "These are some clothes I had a neighbor of mine pick up last time she went to Viridian. I hope they're your size, and you can keep those pajamas. The clothes we found you in were ruined."

"Except for that hat he was wearing," Aoi chimed in, and Red jerked his head up, looking at her with hope in his eyes at the news that the simple hat wasn't gone.

Mary watched Red's reaction for a moment, then took a deep breath, "You just woke up, so take your time getting up. Once you feel ready then change into those clothes, then you can go with Aoi."

"Where?" Aoi asked, following her mother out of the bedroom.

"I think this young man should meet his rescuer, you'll take him down to Oak's lab once he feels ready."

"Okey-dokey Mom!" Aoi chirped as Red slid into the bathroom, "Just hope grumpy-old Forest isn't there!"

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**11/11/16 - I went back I reworked most of this chapter, to make it flow better, and there are a few minor changes, but nothing that will affect the over all story. The next chapters will be edited eventually.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Quick clarification:**

**Forest = Green/Blue/Gary (Male), the rival from the gen one games.**

**Aoi = Blue/Green/Leaf (Female), the female playable character in FireRed and LeafGreen.**

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Entering the lab was the last thing Red wanted to do.

It was a single story building, plain white with a gray roof. A small satellite sat on the roof, along with a couple of solar panels.

It looked like a miniature version of the labs of where Project M2 was made.

But Aoi didn't noticed his hesitation, and grabbed his hand and dragged Red towards the lab doors, "Professor Oak is really nice!" Her high pitched voice made Red want to cringe and backway, "He's rich and famous, but he prefers to live in this little town though," She frowned, "I wish I could get out of here, but the only excuses to leave that this age is to go on a journey or go to some fancy boarding school in the city," She sighed, still not releasing Red's hand, "I definitely don't want to go to some school like that though, but to be a trainer, that would be awesome!"

_Trainer. Journey._ The words sounded familiar to Red, something to do with Pokemon battles. Red had seen several battles before, he'd even had felt Pokemon attacks first hand.

They had finally reached the doors of the lab, and Aoi burst into the lab, taking Red in with her, "Professor Ooooak!" She called, "The kid is awake now! He wants to meet you!"

"Well, well, if it isn't Aoi?" A haughty voice said, "Bursting in here like she owns the place, like usual."

Aoi's face hardened, "Nice to see you too, _Forest_," She growled, her fingernails digging into Red's hands, "Where's your grandfather?"

Red lifted his head up, looking around. There was lab equipment and electronics stuffed into every corner of the room. Boxes were piled in one corner, a PC in the other. Tables lined the walls, covered in computers, papers, and Pokeballs. Plates and cups were laying around in random places, some with food still on them.

Red frowned, this was nothing like the lab where Project M2 had been made.

Standing next to the only organized table was a teenager, about Red's age. He had spiky brown hair, dark green eyes, and a half smirk on his face. He was wearing baggy black cargo pants with a blue shirt, loosely tucked in. Despite the warm weather outside, he had a sweater tied around his waist. He was leaning on the table, his hand lingering near a small plastic tray.

"Gramps is downstairs, but don't go charging down there, he's busy." Forest said.

"I wasn't going to," Aoi snapped, "It's just that the kid woke up, and my mom told me to bring him to the lab!" Aoi had been pretty cheerful for the few minutes Red had known her, but a coldness had entered her tone with Forest.

Forest glanced at Red, who was now staring intently at the floor, inching away from Aoi and Forest, which was hard, since Aoi still had his hand in her vice grip, which was now tighter due to her anger.

The half smirk on Forest's face flickered to a full one as his eyes settled on their hands, "Look's like someone has a boyfriend."

Aoi then seemed to realized that her hand was clamping down on Red's, she released him, and he quickly retracted his hand, rubbing it wordlessly.

_Boyfriend._ The word didn't mean anything to Red. He didn't see anything wrong with being friends, even though he didn't consider Aoi as a friend.

"S-shut up!" Aoi snapped.

"Awe... look's like someone's embarrassed? When's your first date- unless you count this as one," Forest mocked, grin widening.

"_Shut up Forest!"_

_Date._ Now Red understood the argument, and inched away even further from Aoi, wondering when he could leave.

"Hold it hat-head," Forest said, Red paused, glancing up, then back down. Forest studied him, "So you're the one that caused all the ruckus? Hope you were worth it, you pushed back the date of me starting my journey," Forest frowned at Red, "What's your name, hat-head?"

"He's mute," Aoi piped up, the anger in her voice was gone, but the tightness remained, "He can't talk."

"Can't?" Forest raised an eyebrow, "Or is he _afraid_ too?"

"Forest! That's not nice!" Aoi whined.

"Maybe if you stopped acting like a four-year old-" The arguing continued. Red clenched his teeth, he had decided that he didn't like Forest from the moment he saw the smirk, it was too familiar for Red. But what annoyed Red the most was the fact that Forest was right about the reason behind his silence.

"Well you're just a mean-old boy! I'm just going to ignore you," She folded her arms and turned away, pouting like a young girl. Forest looked at him with a raised eyebrow, like he was saying, _Can you believe her?_

Red did admit to himself that her actions did remind him of his younger brother.

"You two, stop it, honestly," An exasperated voice said, and all of the teenagers turned, an older man was walking up the stairs from the basement, one hand on his forehead, "Your bickering is getting out of hand, and its absolutely unnecessary."

He swept by them, grabbing several papers from one table. He wore a long lab coat, his green eyes, the same shade of green of Forest's, narrowed as he looked over the papers. A hand swept through his peppery-white hair, sigh, "It never ends, does it," He muttered.

"Hello Professor Oak!" Aoi said, bounding over to him, "Guess what! The boy woke up, he's fine, I think."

The professor glanced up, "Really?" He said, interest in his voice," His eyes settled on Red, and a huge smiled appeared on the older man's face, but yet it seemed restrained, as if he was wary of Red, "Why, hello, its great to see you again, awake this time," He laughed warmly.

"Gramps I-"

"One minute Forest," Professor Oak said, holding up a hand, still looking at Red, "Do you remember me? Me and my Dragonite, Barney, found you in the woods west of here," He nodded towards the stairs, where a Dragonite was standing on them, looking at the humans curiously, a jolly grin of its face.

Red was about to shake his head, then recalled the figure leaping off an orange creature after the Pidgeys had left. _That must of been this man_, so Red slowly nodded.

"Great! How are you feeling?" The professor asked Red.

Red shrugged, and Oak opened his mouth to speak once more, but Aoi interrupted him.

"Professor, um, you should know that, um, well..." Aoi began.

"She says that he's mute, Gramps," Forest snapped impatiently.

Professor Oak blinked, "Mute?" He paused for a moment, looking at Red, he opened his mouth to speak once more when a loud ring came from the basement, "Phone calls," Oak muttered, "That's all I get around here, phones calls and work. I'll be back in a minute kids," He said, vanishing downstairs.

The Dragonite, Barney, looked at Oak as he walked past, then Barney clambered up the stairs and tromped through the lab, his tail swinging back and forth happily and he rushed to greet the teenagers. His tail swung around, knocking into tables and other lab equipment. Aoi and Forest acted like this was normal behavior, but Red cringe each time the tail rammed into something, threatening glass containers and several machines to tip over.

Barney had reached them, and a vial full of a golden liquid crashed to the floor. The Dragonite ignored this, but scooped Aoi in a huge hug, "Put me down, Barney!" Her muffled voice laughed. The Dragonite released her, and Red took several steps back.

Dragonite turned to face Forest, arms opened wide for a hug. Two more containers fell to the ground, but they were plastic and they didn't break. Forest attempted shove the Dragonite, but Barney was stronger, and wrapped his arms around the thrashing teen.

Red glanced around uncertainly, the lab was very compacted, and the Dragonite's hyperness was making Red uncertain.

Red took a step towards the Dragonite, taking a deep breath. The dragon-type looked at Red curiously, Forest still in his grasp, his legs dangling in mid air. His face was smothered in Barney's scales, yelling muffled shouts and cures. Red extended his hand towards it, and he gathered his emotions. Red's mouth twitched in effort, as he pushed the feeling _calm_ towards Barney.

The Dragonite paused, the grin of its face vanishing, like it had just thought of something.

_S...sit down?_ Red thought, offering the idea to the Dragonite. Barney frowned.

Barney sat with a _thud_, clutching Forest tighter. Aoi glanced at the Dragonite in surprise as he sat there contently. Barney had always been a bit hyper, and would clomp around the lab like he was still a tiny Dratini still. Yet here he was, sitting in the middle of his hug-feist. The jolly look in the Dragonite's eyes were gone, now replaced by a serene gaze. Still the same Pokemon, but now in a completely new mood.

Red lowered his hand, taking a huge breath, like he had just surfaced a lake. Transferring emotions had always been easy for him, but direct thoughts and orders always drained him. Red stumbled back, lowering himself into a chair, catching his breath.

"Gah!" Forest cried, finally freeing himself from Barney's grasp, "Do that one more time and I'll turn you into a rug!" The Dragonite didn't even seem to notice the threat.

"Honestly, Barney," Oak called, coming up the stairs once more, "If you knocked over my revive experiment one more time-"

"Bah!" Dragonite cooed contently. Red jumped to his feet as the professor came closer, pulling his hat down.

"Well..." Professor Oak blinked, "Um..."

"Gramps! I'm feed up with waiting!" Forest cried, pulling the attention towards him. His hair all frizzled from the Pokemon's hug. Annoyance was intertwined in his voice, "You promised me a Pokemon over a week ago! This morning you said you'd give me one today! I'm not waiting another minute!"

Professor Oak turned his gaze from his suddenly calm Dragonite to his grandson, then sighed, "Yes, um... I did say that..." He sighed again, then looked at Red. Professor Oak now had a calculating look in his eyes.

The professor strolled over to the table were Forest was, stepping over the containers Barney had knocked over, snatching up a plastic tray resting on the table. He removing the lid, setting it aside. Inside the tray were three expanded Pokeballs. Aoi took a sharp breath, looking at the Pokeballs with longing. A hungry look flashed through Forest's eyes, which vanished as Oak turned towards Red.

"In each one of these Pokeballs is a Pokemon, you may choose one to keep."

Red jerked his head up in surprise, staring at the professor. Aoi let out a jealous squeak, and Forest gawked.

"Gramps! You said I could choose-"

"Patience Forest, you'll get your chance in one minute," Oak's eyes were still on Red, "Go ahead, boy, and choose."

Red stared at the professor and the Pokeballs like they had fallen from space. Red quickly approached him. Oak offered out the tray, and Red reached towards it, hesitating, as if he was expecting the professor to yank it back and yell "Psych!", but the professor only held the tray closer.

Red gulped, reaching a hand towards the Pokeballs. Each one had a small symbol etched in them, the first one had a leaf, the second one had a flame, and the third had a water droplet; each stamped over the red and white sphere.

The green leaf only reminded him of Forest's green eyes, which were glaring at him with hatred. So Red past over that one, his hands lingering between the water droplet and the flame.

A faint memory rose in the back of Red's mind, him and a boy with red hair, his little brother, playing with two unfamiliar Pokemon figures. Behind them sat a young lady with bright red hair and red eyes, chuckling as her two children played by the fireplace. Outside, a snow storm roared, covering the windows with a blanket of white.

Red's hand closed around the middle Pokeball, the one with the flame one it.

"Charmander, eh?" The professor asked as Red took the Pokeball, "Good choice."

"Not as good as mine!" Forest cried, snapping up the one that had been next to the fire one, "Water only has two weaknesses, unlike Charmander's three and Bulbasaur's four," Forest grinned, "Looks like I got the best one."

Red glanced down at the Pokeball in his hand uncertainly.

Professor Oak rubbed his forehead, "Forest, for the final time-"

"Hey, kid," Forest interrupted his grandfather, holding up the Pokeball, "Want to battle?"

"You shouldn't battle in the lab!" Aoi cried, but Oak sighed.

"Let them, Barney would just knock over everything eventually anyway," Oak was obviously used to Forest's resolve. The professor leaned against the table, waiting.

"Go, Squirtle!" Forest cried, releasing a blue Pokemon in a flash of white light. The turtle took up a battle position like she had done it everyday of her life.

Red fumbled with his Pokeball, he had seen many in his life, but the only time he had touched one...

He shuddered, and the red and white sphere opened up, releasing a small lizard-like Pokemon. "Char~" It cried happily, looking around, its sky blue eyes looking up at Red. It had an orange body, and a light yellow-cream colored stomach. An orange and red flame waved back and forth on its long tail. The Pokemon grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and ran towards Red, hugging his leg, "Mander! Char char!"

Red blinked at the small creature, then reached down and touched the top of its head. The Pokemon was very excited, Red could sense.

"Well hat-head? Want to battle or not?" Forest asked, his Squirtle still in a battle stance.

"Char!" Red's new Charmander bolted from his leg, taking up a similar stance as the Squirtle, his claws gleaming.

Forest grinned, this time a real smile. His anger from Red choosing first gone, "Use Tackle."

"Squirt!" The Squirtle charged forward and launched herself into the air, retracting her body into her shell, slamming into Charmander at full speed. He grunted, stumbling back, looking to Red, who rocked back and forth, unsure.

Charmander's eyes widened suddenly, he was drinking uncertainty radiating from his trainer as if it were his own. The Squirtle paused, cocking her head. Even Barney seemed hesitant, and he wasn't even battling.

"What are you pausing for, use Tackle again!" Forest snapped at the water-type. She shook her head, as if trying to get water at her ears, then ran at Charmander as she had before.

"Char?" Charmander called to Red, uneasy, glancing back. Red swept his hand to the side, gesturing for the Charmander to move out of the way. He step sided the Squirtle's Tackle, and looked to his trainer once more.

Red nodded at Charmander, pointing to the Squirtle, who was coming out of her shell to get a view of her surroundings. Charmander gulped, hoping he understood his instructions, and ran towards the Squirtle, claws gleaming in the fluorescent lights.

The Scratch attack slashed across the Squirtle's cheek just as she fully pulled her head of the shell. She let out a cried, and retreated back into her shell.

"Tackle!" The Squirtle pushed off the wall with her back feet, and sent her shell spinning towards Charmander, which slammed into his stomach, sending the fire-type flying back.

"A critical hit, nice Forest," Professor Oak nodded approvingly.

"Mander..." Charmander stood up, baring his teeth, "Char!" He snarled and Squirtle, advancing. She stepped back as Charmander's Growl continued.

"They're so cute!" Aoi squeaked and Charmander pounced on Squirtle, his Scratch uselessly swiping at her shell as she retreated into it once more.

"They're eager to please their new trainers," Oak replied, glancing at Red.

"Get it off and Tackle it again!" Forest cried.

"It's not as interesting of a battle, though, when they only have two attacks," Aoi said, her eyes flickering to the remaining Pokeball in Oak's hands.

"Raising them is half the fun," Oak continued watching the battle, they seemed to be going at full force, but he knew these Pokemon. Their fatigue would catch up with them soon.

The Squirtle pulled out of her attack, huffing as Charmander pushed himself to his feet. They glared at each other, tremble as they both charged into another attack. Charmander swiped at Squirtle as she came with her Tackle, but the spinning of her shell deflected the attack, and the Tackle hit him at full force.

Charmander landed on his stomach, he panted as he tried to stand up. Forest ordered another attack, but Professor Oak broke in.

"That's enough, remember that these Pokemon are still young, they don't have the same stamina as older Pokemon."

"Great work Squirtle," Forest said, approaching the water-type, who was beaming with the praise, he stroked her head, thinking, "You need a name."

"Squirt?" She asked, facing her new trainer. She looked a little banged up from the battle, but Charmander was in worse shape.

"How about... I dunno, Ray?" Forest asked. Squirtle scowled, turning away. Forest frowned, "Okay... maybe Pike?" And she whacked him with her tail, "Ow... If you don't like it you could just say..." He muttered, rubbing his hand, "What about Cruise? Or Sheldon?"

"Tle," She crossed her arms, still refusing to look at Forest.

"Forest," Oak began, chuckling, "You see..."

"What?" He scowled at his grandfather.

"-That Squirtle is a girl!" Aoi finished, laughing.

Forest sat there for a moment, "A girl?"

Squirtle looked coolly back at her trainer, glowering.

"... Oh..." Forest muttered, "Sorry... I guess."

Squirtle whipped her head away again

"Hey.." Forest reached toward the Squirtle, "Look, I'm sorry, really. What about the name... Err, Shelly? That's a girl's name, isn't it? What do you think of the name Shelly?"

The Squirtle sat there for a moment, then shrugged. She turned around, smirking slightly, then nodded, amusement gleaming in her brown eyes. Forest laughed uncertainly, "Okay, Shelly it is."

Oak smiled, then turned, looking for Red.

The silent trainer was sitting is the same place his Charmander had fallen. The fire-type was in Red's arms, looking a bit down, but generally unharmed. Professor Oak reached into his lab coat, pulling out two purple bottles and two red devices, "Here," He said, tossing the bottles to the boys, "Use these potions on your Pokemon, it should give them enough strength for you guys to reach Viridian City," He held up the red devices, "And these are Pokedexs. Forest, I hope you're familiar with these by now, but the are Pokemon encyclopedia, they'll give you all the information you'll need for Pokemon."

Forest snapped one from his grandfather's hands, while Red accepted one in the same way he had with the Pokeball, slow and uncertainty. Red quietly retreated back, glancing at the Pokedex, but picked up the potion, looking at it as if were a foreign object.

"Yeah, yeah, I know Gramps, I know," Forest muttered.

Professor Oak didn't respond to the interruption, "Show them to Pokemart and they'll give you five free Pokeballs for the start of your journey, show the Pokedex to a Pokemon Center and you'll get a room there for free as well."

"Char char!" Charmander giggled, Red had finally figured out how the potion bottle worked, but he had sprayed some of it in his eyes in the processed. Red winced, wiping his eyes, then began to spray the potion again, but this time on Charmander.

Professor Oak pulled a third Pokedex out of his pocket and set it on the table, setting the third Pokeball next to it, "Aoi," He said, and girl whipped her head up, her blues eyes sparkling, "In this Pokeball in a Pokemon called Bulbasaur, a grass-type," He tapped the Pokeball, "If your mother approves, you may have the Pokemon and Pokedex and go on a journey yourself."

Aoi eyes widened, "Really?" She squealed.

"Yes, go ask her now, if you'd like, but wait," He stopped her as she rushed towards the door, "Please if inform your mother of the new circumstances regarding the boy, alright?" Red looked up as Professor Oak glanced at him.

"Yes sir," She chirped, then she darted out the door.

"You know she'll only be thinking about the Pokemon," Forest commented, rolling his eyes, "But, whatever, I'm out of here. Smell ya later!"

"You'd think he'd use his manners at least once," Oak muttered as Forest ran out of the lab, in almost the same childish way Aoi had. Red glanced at the professor, then inched his way towards the door of the lab.

"Wait one moment, Red," Oak said, a new tone in his voice, and Red froze. Not because the professor asked him to stop, or because of his tone.

But because the professor had said his name.


	3. Chapter 3

Red spun around, facing Professor Oak. The uncertainty in the boy's eyes were gone, now replaced with suspicion and fear.

The professor chuckled half heartedly, "That got your attention. So Red is your name."

Red backed away, while Charmander glanced between his old and new trainer. He could sense a tension in the air. No, he could _feel_ the tension coming from Red.

Professor Oak dug his hand into his pocket and Red flinched, the professor frowned, "Now calm down, I don't mean you any harm. Please, sit down," Oak gestured to a chair that had been tucked away in the messy lab. Red didn't move, and Oak sighed, but didn't pursue the request.

"I was unsure if Red was your name, but that is what this card said, and I assumed it was yours," His hand came out of his lab pocket, pulling out a small plastic card out of the it. He set it on the table in front of Red. The boy took a hesitant step forward to get a good look. It was about the size of a credit card, but it was only a simple pass, like what someone would use to board a train. Red's name was printed in one corner with a barcode in the other. A giant 'R' ran across the card, which made Red's stomach churn.

"When I found you out in the woods I tried looking for some identification. I found this, but I must say I wasn't too pleased with it, I recognize this symbol," He tapped the 'R', "I would have given it back sooner, but I didn't want the others to get the wrong impression. Team Rocket isn't exactly welcome here."

Red cringed, dragging his cap so it covered his eyes. Yes, the pass was his, allowing him to access certain rooms of the base along with a few other things, but it was simply another sign of how imprisoned his life had been. Most of the doors at the base would never open for him, especially if they lead outside.

"I wasn't sure what to think of you," The professor continued, "A bit young for a Rocket recruit, but I wasn't going to leave you in the middle of the woods. My confusion only grew when Mary told me of some scars on your back," That earned another flinch from Red, "And she also just called, a right before I gave you that Pokemon, she mentioned a few of your reactions as you awoke, and I began to believe that you weren't a recruit."

Red watched was the professor paced. Charmander had lost interest in the conversation, and was exploring Red's borrowed backpack. The lizard had figured out how to open the bag, and was now digging through the few objects in them. Barney the Dragonite was watching from the corner of the lab, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Anyways, over a week ago, there was an explosion not far from here, about ten miles away. I have good connections with the League, and since the remains of the explosion seemed to be some sort of lab, I was sent out to help with the investigation. It was actually quite horrifying. Thirty-four people dead, twenty-eight injured. Everyone else was gone, left the maimed behind and fled," Professor Oak shook his head, disgusted, "The league's investigations and questioning let us figure out that it was one of Team Rocket's hideouts, a main one as well. Several of the laboratories on the base that make this place look like a playhouse," He gestured around his lab.

_Thirty... thirty four dead?_ Red felt sick, guessing most, or all them were scientists.

_(Very well, free me and I will not harm you human. But remember, I have no patience for your kind. Even you.) _Project M2 had told him, _(But I see our need for each other in order to escape this prison. I will not turn on you like most filthy humans would, free me, and I will provide the distractions necessary for our freedom.)_

Red wanted to throw up. He'd... _he'd _helped caused this...

"Red?" Red glanced up at the professor, "I just want to ask you, this explosion and these laboratories, is this where you came from? This pass has the Rocket logo on it, and your clothes were covered in burns, so were you caught up in this?"

Red found himself nodding, even though he had just met this man.

Oak frowned, but slid the pass towards Red, "Then I suppose this is yours."

Red looked at the pass, and a sudden and unreasonable boiling rage roared up in him. He wanted to tear it apart, he wanted to tear up anything that reminded him of his past, anything that reminded him of the base, of the creature that _he_ released, the deaths that followed because of that choice.

Charmander paused, looking up from the bag on the ground. The lizard began to growl, and the professor looked down at the fire-type in surprise, "Now what has you wound up?" Oak asked, kneeling down, but the Charmander swiped at the professor's hand.

"Char!" He hissed, the flames on his tail sputtering. Red glanced at the professor and Pokemon, the adrenaline that fueled his anger gone. Charmander paused mid snarl, blinking slowly, "Char?" He cocked his head, confused. Red shifted in his seat, then slowly reached for the pass, then slipped it into his pocket, he'd deal with the emotions later.

"That's quite strange," Oak muttered, "This Charmander has always been very friendly, even a bit silly at times too. Perhaps he's not quite ready for a journey..."

"Mander?!" Charmander cried, and he turned and charged at Red, leaping into the teenager's lap, wrapping his stubby arms around Red's stomach, "Char!" Red looked down in surprise, patting the lizard's head uncertainly. Charmander hugged him tighter.

Professor Oak pushed himself to his feet, smiling at the duo, "But that is no longer my choice to make, Charmander now belongs to you."

Red looked up at the professor, if he thought Red was with Team Rocket, then why did he give him Charmander in the first place?

"If you go up through route one you'll end up in Viridian City. They're a gym there, but it's rarely open. Head up into Route Two you'll reach the Viridian Forest, a good place to train. After that they're Pewter City, with a rock-type gym. If you're interested in challenging the League, then I'd start there," The professor gave him a half smile, "You seem like an interesting kid, Red. I honestly don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you."

Red frowned, why on earth would the professor trust him, with everything pointing against him? That went against everything Red had ever learned. His mind race as it tried to come to a conclusion for why the professor would treat him like this, but he only drew a blank. Red stood up, eager to get out of the professor's presence.

The professor didn't say a word as Red pulled the hugging Charmander off of him. Red held Charmander in his arms, and the Pokemon scrambled up Red's arms and settled on Red's shoulder. Red turned and headed out the lab door, feet quickly shuffling.

"Bahrawr?" Barney called, and Charmander raised a claw hand in farewell. Red heard a small whine come from the fire-type as he wrenched the door open, but Red just wanted to get out of the lab. He'd spend more than enough of his life in a lab.

/*/*/*/*/*/

"Bah!" Barney cried, staring at the door longingly as Red pushed his way out, and Professor Oak chuckled weakly, petting the dragon-type as the door swung shut.

"Now, now. You know that all the starters leave this lab one day, you can't get attached to them. Even if it is your own offspring," Oak said gently, not looking surprised at all at Red's sudden departure.

The Dragonite looked at his trainer, nodding, but still he crossed his arms in displeasure. Oak turned away and began straightening several papers scattered around the lab, and he quickly shuffled some under the pile that had a bold 'R' in the top corner.

"Hey Gramps!" A voice called and the lab door burst open. Barney perked up, excitement rekindling in his eyes. The professor looked up, surprised.

"Citrine!" He cried, a smile flickering across his face, and he shoved the papers aside, "Great to see you!"

The girl smiled, her golden blonde hair shifting. Her bright green 'Oak' eyes gleamed as she hugged her grandfather. In the doorway stood a Raichu, glancing around shyly, a daisy tucked behind one of its ears.

"Is something wrong Grampa?" Citrine asked, feeling the tension in his arms.

He smiled, "You know me too well, but I'm just fine. Just have a lot on my mind."

"I just saw some kid run off towards route one," She said, and her Raichu scrambling into the room, darting around her legs, "Was it that kid you found?"

"As a matter of fact it was, I just gave Red a Charmander, I thought he'd leave pretty quickly," Oak said.

"Not as quickly as Forest," Citrine scoffed, "Grabbed his bag and ran off, he's been ready for over a week now. I barely had time to say goodbye to the boy!"

"You know how impatient your brother is," Oak replied, "Especially after your father ran off to..." Oak paused, and a tense silence fell between them. The Raichu cringed, and curled up into a ball, as if sensing something was coming. Citrine frowned as Oak paused mid sentence.

"Did you find out something about him?" Citrine snapped at her grandfather.

"No."

"You're lying," Citrine said, watching Oak's movements. He gulped and shifted.

"That's none of your business," He replied, managing to keep his tone even.

Citrine quivered, and took a step towards the professor, "Did you hear from him?" She asked, voice breaking slightly. When Oak didn't reply she grabbed his arm, "_Well?"_

He rubbed his forehead with his free hand, "No. I did not find him, now if you excuse me Citrine, I have work to do," He slipped out of her grip and walked away, heading towards the stairs, Barney right behind him.

"You can't keep protecting me forever!" Citrine shouted after him, "We both know that!"

There was no reply from the professor, and Citrine snorted, her merry attitude from when she first entered completely gone, "Come on," She said to her Raichu, and stormed out the lab door, the electric mouse dashing after her.

*/*/*/*/*/

"Char!" Charmander jumped off of Red's shoulder as they reached route one, he looked back excitedly at his new trainer. Red didn't seem to notice the fire-type, but was just staring off at the empty road, buried in his thoughts.

Charmander studied his trainer. When the fire-type had been at the lab his emotions had been stretched in every direction; from anger, to surprise; and uncertainty to fear. One thing Charmander was sure of was that these strange feelings weren't his; they had all come from Red.

He was unsure why he thought this, he was no Lucario or Gardevoir, so he shouldn't be able to sense others' emotions. Then again, Charmander was sure that the other Pokemon at the lab had felt the emotions coming from Red, and how those feelings seemed to become his own.

Charmander just couldn't understand how that was possible though.

But what was really bothering him was that he didn't feel anything coming from Red right now. Charmander focused on his trainer, but all the boiling emotions he could sense before was gone, like someone had placed an iron wall over the boy.

Red glanced at him, as if he could sense Charmander's stare. Charmander shrank back, his trainer's eyes were a bright red, but cold and harsh. Combined that with his emotionless stare and silent nature, Charmander couldn't help but pull away.

"Char?"

Red looked up, then began to go down route one, seemingly not caring if the fire-type followed or not. Charmander yelped, and ran after Red, jumping. His claws caught on Red's backpack, and he used that as leverage to push himself up onto Red's shoulder. The boy didn't even acknowledge the Pokemon's presence.

Charmander let out a small whimper, but didn't push his new trainer.

*/*/*/*/*/*/

The sun was long gone by the time they reached Viridian. Charmander's tail flame casted a lonely light on the path as the approached the city. Viridian was pretty small and isolated, but developed. The dirt path slowly turned into a road and sidewalks, which was lined with houses and shops.

The roads were empty, but a large red building seemed lively on the inside. Red looked up, trying to read the letters above the door. The first word was Pokemon, one of the few words he knew right off. Red frowned, he had learned how to read when he was younger, but after his mother died he was left with his father. He never got the chance to read in that environment...

Red shuddered a bit, and Charmander looked at him in concern.

After a moment Red decided that the second word was 'center', which made sense. Professor Oak had said something about this place.

Red glanced up and down the Viridian streets, with a vague feeling that he had been here before, but that seemed unlikely, he'd hadn't left any of the Rocket bases in years. He turned and entered the Pokemon Center.

"Looks like you finally made it here, eh, hat-head?" Red looked up in time to see Forest sneer at him, "Gramps told me to make sure you made it here, don't know why he bothered, not like you don't know how to walk from one place to another."

Red didn't reply. Charmander hopped off his shoulder and dashed towards Shelly. The Squirtle smiled as the fire-type approached. The began to talk quickly to one another, Charmander waving his little hands around. Red couldn't understand them, but he got a vague impression that they were discussing their trip here.

"Hrmp," Forest muttered, recalling his Squirtle in mid sentence. Charmander glared at Forest angrily as the Squirtle vanished into the Pokeball, "I'm off to bed now, I want to challenge the gym here tomorrow, smell ya later."

"Mader," Charmander crossed his arms, a grumpy expression on his face.

Red watched Forest go with a distasteful look, Forest wasn't being this way because of his personality, but Red could tell he was only doing it to bother him. Charmander's claws dug into his leg as the lizard climbed up onto his shoulder, his new favorite place.

*/*/*/*/*/*/

Charmander seemed a bit restless as Red reserved a room in the Pokemon Center, but Red shrugged it off, the Charmander had been antsy the whole walk to Viridian, only seemly to calm down when a wild Pokemon attacked them. Red had always been uneasy about how eager a Pokemon was willing to attack, not even questioning the trainer's orders.

Red shut the door to room eight and collapsed on the bed. His muscles were screaming at him from all his walking, but he could care less. It felt good, knowing that his energy was being put towards moving. Charmander settled on the bed next to Red, stretching and giving Red a big tooth-filled yawn.

Charmander looked at Red exceptionally, glancing at his Pokeball, which Red had just set down on the lamp table. Red took no notice of this though, only taking off his backpack and jacket and setting off to the side. Charmander watched his trainer closely, but he made no action to return him to his Pokeball. Charmander finally just stretched out on the edge of the bed, already half asleep.

Red closed the curtains and shut off the light, and Charmander's tail lit the room. Red sat on the bed. Physically he was ready for sleep, but mentally he was not. Not even night had been an escape for him back at the base. Sometimes the nightmares would come. They were so poignant that they always seemed like reality to Red.

Falling asleep was also a problem on some nights. He'd never been able to fall asleep properly since the night his brother vanished. Usually it was fatigue that would always put him out now days, or when he was just pushed physically to the limit that his body just couldn't stay awake any longer, or when his was too wounded to stay conscious. Or on Project M2's bad days, when Red just couldn't handle the psychic strain on his mind.

Red laid down, watching the sleeping Charmander. The fire-type had trusted him right off, not hesitating to follow him. Red just wanted to understand why, why did it place its trust in him? Why would a creature put trust in something that it had just met, especially when it could turn on him? The only thing he had done for the Pokemon was pit it in a battle with another Pokemon, but yet he had not heard a complaint from Charmander.

Red felt strangely calm, knowing that this small creature that he had just met today seemed to treat him like a sentient being. Red stoked the fire-type, who made a rumbling noise in his sleep, a small smiling appearing on the lizard.

Red turned over, closing his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh look, I'm finally updating a story other than The Final Battle! I haven't done anything with this story in a while, but I'm thinking about going back and rewriting some of the older chapters.**

* * *

_We said we'd escape together in the morning. But when I woke up, my brother was gone._

_I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find my brother. That's when he approached me, the man that took Mother. He called himself my father, but I knew better. Parents were suppose to care, they were suppose to be there. That wasn't this man._

_He told me that I was my fault. That's when it hit me; my mother, my brother- they had took the blows for me. If would have done as I was told then they'd still be here._

_Now there was nobody between me and him._

_I didn't want to listen, I didn't care anymore. But he never seemed to notice, I had an ability that he wanted me to use. The one that made the creatures react to my emotions, but I couldn't control it._

_I went out of my way to cause trouble, anything I could do to hurt the man that hurt me. This time I was the one that took the blows instead, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered to me anymore._

_One night I went too far. I took the blows once more, but they were too much to handle this time. I couldn't take it like I could the others._

_He told me to shut up and listen to him._

_So I did._

* * *

"Hey!" A familiar high pitched voice called as Red stepped out of the Pokemon Center. Red turned to see a strawberry blonde haired girl charging towards him. Aoi was wearing a simply blue dress that matched her eyes, and a hat that reminded Red of a premier ball. Aoi ran up to him, grinning, "How are you?" She gave him a huge smile.

Red shrugged, but Aoi didn't seem to notice, she dug into her bag, pulling out a Pokeball, "Guess what? I get to go on a journey too!" She opened up a Pokeball, releasing an undersized Bulbasaur, "Meet Kiku!"

The Bulbasaur glanced around, and Red knelt down, stroking the grass type. The female Bulbasaur made a humming noise deep in her throat.

"Ahh! So cute, Kiku likes you already!" Aoi cooed, then she ran and scooped up Charmander, "But he's a cutie too! Do you have a name picked out for him yet?" She asked, cuddling the fire type.

"You know, it doesn't matter how much you ask him, he isn't going to reply," Forest growled, walking out of the Pokemon Center. Aoi's smile turned to a frown.

"So? It doesn't mean I hafta ignore him!" Aoi snapped, hugging Charmander closer. Red backed away as Forest approached, but the Professor's grandson was only looking at his neighbor. They stood still for a moment, Forest sneering, Aoi glaring, and Red looking down.

"Look's like Gramps gave you a runt," Forest said after a moment, looking at the little Bulbasaur.

Aoi stuck out her tongue, "I know that she's smaller, but that doesn't mean that she can't battle. Mr. Oak did offer me to wait so he could get another Bulbasaur, but I like Kiku! I'll show you how strong she is, once I come back with the Earth Badge!"

Forest smirked, like he knew something, "Yeah, good luck with that. I'm off to Pewter City, I'll see you later, maybe, Slowpokes," He turned, leaving.

"Oh- oh yeah? Well, come on," She grabbed Red's wrist, "We're going to the gym!"

Red sighed to himself as he was once more dragged off by Aoi.

* * *

The Viridian Gym was one word: Terrifying.

Red did not understand why the earth brown brick building sent chills down him, but he just knew that he shouldn't be here. Everything about Viridian reminded him about _before_, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had been here once, but when he tried to remember he only got a feeling of dread.

Aoi did not seem intimidated by the gym, nor did she notice Red uneasiness. She skipped right up to the giant double doors, and tried to open them. They were locked. Red relaxed a bit, now he had a reason to get them out of here.

But Aoi was giving up that easily, she handed Red his Charmander (Whom she had been holding the whole trip to the gym), and knocked on the doors. Muffled voices could be heard on the inside, and footsteps. Aoi beamed, and Red took a step back, gripping Charmander tightly.

The fire type lashed out, trying to get away. Half responding to the terror he sensed from Red, half wanting to get out of the boy's vice grip. One of the doors swung open, and a teal haired man looked out at the two teens. He glanced quickly over Red, and focused his gaze at Aoi, "Yes?" He asked.

"We're here for a gym battle!" She chirped, pointing at her and Red.

The man laughed, "Sorry young lady, but I'm afraid the gym is closed right now. In fact, the gym leader isn't even here at the moment!"

Aoi's smile fell, "But he's the gym leader! Why wouldn't he be here?"

The man closed his eyes, as if he had this conversation many times before, "Look, being a gym leader is more of a second job for him. He's an important business who has many things to deal with. _Especially _right now."

Aoi sighed, "Makes sense, I guess..."

The man glanced over her, "Now don't get down, you'll get you'll battle eventually. Besides, not to be rude, I'd recommend getting a few more stronger Pokemon before you take on this gym leader, he's no push over. Especially you boy, a Charmander won't cut it..." The man paused, his green eyes blinking in surprise. He hesitated, staring at him, "_Red?_ Is that you?!"

Red some how managed to go even more stiffer. He looked up at the man, and Charmander slipped out of his grasp. The fear in Red's eyes was clearer than day. The man stared at him for a moment. Aoi looked between them, confused.

He opened his mouth to speak, but something in Red snapped, he grabbed Aoi's wrist, and took off running down the street. There Pokemon blinked, then charged after their trainers.

"Do you know him?" Aoi shouted as Red dragged her through the city. Red, of course, didn't reply. Aoi grumpled something, as if she didn't like being the one dragged around.

Red navigated the streets as with ease, as if he had been in them before. He darted towards the northern end of town, slipping into an alleyway. He released Aoi, sinking to his knees, panting. Running wasn't his forte.

"Char... mander..."

"Bulba..." There Pokemon slank into the alley after them, tried from their run. The two Pokemon looked at Red, wanting an explanation. Red's heart and mind was racing, trying to think. But of course Aoi was asking him a million questions, distracting him.

"Why did we runoff?" She asked nervously, "Is he dangerous? How do you know him?"

Red closed his eyes, why did Proton have to be the one to answer at the gym? Anyone else he probably could have slipped away without recognition. Proton was the probably the person that knew Red the best...

"Gol!" A Golbat swept into the alley way, looking at them, then it flew out just as quickly. Red panicked a bit, knowing who the Golbat belonged too. Charmander cocked his head, picking up Red's emotions. Bulbasaur stamped her feet a bit.

Red inched back, but the end of the alleyway was a tall brick way- something he couldn't climb. He glanced back at the entrance, and the Golbat was back, this time with his trainer. Aoi looked nervous, but not frightened.

The teal haired man from the gym looked over at Red. A mixture of surprise and greed shown on his face, "Woah Red, no need to run," He said gently, "It's me, Proton, we're cool with each other, aren't we?" He took a step into the alleyway.

Red glanced back at the brick wall once more. There was a time when he had trusted Proton, but that trust soon proven to be misplaced.

"We thought you were dead Red," Proton continued as Aoi got a confused look, "Your father wasn't too happy. You need to come back with me."

Red whipped his head side to side, trembling.

"So you do know him!" Aoi exclaimed to Red.

"Is it your father?" Proton asked, "I wouldn't worry, no one will blame you for running off. Project M2 meant business, running was the natural thing. Everything would be easier if you come back willingly, Red. Nothing will be held against you," Proton was speaking to Red in the same way someone would speak to a young child.

Red's eyes flickered up towards Proton, and he got a glimpse of Red's angry glare.

"Wait... Don't tell me you're still upset about _that _incident," Proton said, mind pinning the pieces together, "I couldn't disobey direct orders, you know that. You don't hold it against me, do you?" He chuckled.

Red shook with rage. Proton was treating him as if nothing had happened! Anger pounded through him. Red glanced at the Pokemon, reaching out to them, not holding back any of his anger.

Charmander's confused look vanished instantly, pupils shirking. The fire on his tail sputtered as he growled, stepping forward. Aoi's Bulbasaur took up a battle stance, shaking with with an alien rage, two vines growing from the sides of her bulb.

"Kiku?" Aoi asked, confused at her Bulbasaur's sudden change.

Proton frowned as his Golbat shuddered, then it wheeled around to face him, pupils dilated. "Red..." Proton's gentle voice was gone, replaced with nervousness, "Call off the Pokemon..." His eyes flickered back and forth.

Kiku sprang forward, tackling Proton to the ground as his Golbat swooped in with a Wing Attack. Charmander dashed forward, claws gleaming. The Scratch hit Proton on the arm, drawing blood. Aoi shrunk behind Red as the Golbat sank its fangs into its trainer.

"Kiku! Stop!" Aoi cried, but the Bulbasaur kept attacking. Another Scratch hit right above Proton's eyes, and Charmander fell back and Golbat swooped in with another Bite. Blood poured down from Proton's forehead, blinding his right eye.

Aoi cried again for Kiku to stop, and Proton shouted a command to his Golbat, but the Pokemon were blinded by the rage they felt. It surrounded their minds, clouding all other thoughts. The only thing in their head was a sudden and blinding rage for Proton.

But Red's adrenaline was fading, along with his hold on the Pokemon. Golbat began to tremble, trying to throw off Red's anger.

Charmander opened his mouth, the back of his throat glowing. Proton's eyes widened as he realized that a fire attack was coming on, "Red!" His voice was fearful.

Golbat finally got a hold of himself. A Wing Attack knocked Kiku away, and a well timed Swift hit both Charmander and the Bulbasaur, and the Ember attack was sent skyward. Charmander panted as he regained control of his emotions, blinking.

Kiku backed away, cowering. Confusion swept through her as she tried to process where the sudden hatred for this man had come from, and why it was now gone. Aoi rushed forward, scooping up her Bulbasaur. Charmander looked back at Red in worry, who stumbled, vision blackening slightly.

Golbat whimpered to his trainer apologetically as Proton stood. Blood flowed from where Charmander had scratched him and where Golbat had bitten him. Bruises were forming from Kiku's and Golbat attacks. More blood flowed from his forehead into his right eye. He cursed, trying to wipe it away.

Proton glared at Red with one eye for a moment, who held the stare, trembling. Charmander growled, along with Kiko, this time driven for their trainer's safety rather than by Red's anger.

Proton turned, leaving the alleyway open, stumbling back towards the gym without a word. He could have possibly done more, but he was wounded and didn't seem to want to face another barge of angry Pokemon.

Red let out a sigh of relief, sinking to the ground. Blackness tugged at the edges of his vision.

"Ohmygosh! Kiku, what happened! Why did all of you attack all the sudden, are you guys sick? Oh no, we should get them to a Pokemon Center..." Aoi cuddled the grass type closer, and she looked at Red, "Are you alright?"

Sweat was rolling down Red's forehead and face. His hands were clasped into fists, and his heart pounded in a mixture of fear and anger. Charmander darted up to him, whining softly. Aoi sat next to him.

"... Red? That's why he called you, right? Is that your name?"

Red nodded slowly.

"I don't really know... I mean, what that man was talking about or why our Pokemon attacked like that, but we should get to the Pokemon Center. Our Pokemon need a rest, and by the looks of it, you need one too. We'll call the professor, he'll know what to do."

Red shook his head, standing up. He looked at Charmander, pointing to his shoulder. The fire type darted up, perching on his shoulder.

"What do you mean no? Red- whoever you are- you couldn't move for a week until yesterday and now it looks like your breaking out in a fever! It's obvious that you don't like that man, Protean or something, but he mentioned your father. Maybe we should go talk to him-"

Red whipped his head around to face her. Aoi recoiled a little, surprised by the angry glare he gave her. After a moment Red lowered his head, dragging his hand across his face. He needed to get out of this town.

Red cautiously stepped out of the alleyway, glancing around. No sign of Proton, or anyone else. Aoi followed Red out into the streets as he made his way to the edge of town. The pathway faded out of the city and into a tall, dense forest.

"'Viridian Forest'," Aoi read the sign, "Are you really leaving that quickly? What about Charmander...?"

Red went down the pathway, and Aoi didn't follow him. She watched him vanish into the dark forest. Kiku pressed up Aoi, who sighed, "Let's go back to the Pokemon Center."

* * *

"Chuuuu!" A small mouse released the electricity in his cheeks, sending the Thundershock at the small Weedle. The bug type recoiled, but rushed forward, it's horn glowing purple. A simple Quick Attack allowed him to dodge the Poison Sting. The Pikachu grinned, zapping the Weedle once more.

The Pikachu stretched as the Weedle fainted. Battling was fun, but the Pokemon in the forest were getting too easy for her. She wanted a _challenge._

Even the trainers that past through were boring, most of them just obsessed with stupid bug types and shorts. Though the last trainer that she fought didn't have bug types... but the water and flying type had provided no challenge for the eager electric type.

A flash of orange light caught her attention. The Pikachu pricked her ears up, curious. She scaled a tree, leaping across the branches. There was another flash of orange, near the trail humans followed, and the smell of smoke. The Pikachu jumped through several more trees, perching herself up high on a branch overlooking the path.

Coming down the trail was a boy, no older than the last trainer the Pikachu had fought. In front of him was a small Charmander that was frying what ever bug crossed their path with a powerful Ember, knocking most of them out with one hit! The Pikachu darted ahead, keeping above in the trees, watching with interest.

A fire type, something the Pikachu had never battled before. It was handling the annoying bugs with no trouble at all! It usually took the Pikachu a few shocks for him to take care of those bugs herself. The Pikachu watched as an annoyed Pidgey dove down, screeching at the Charmander.

The fire type glanced at his trainer, but received no acknowledgement. The Charmander fired an Ember, then lashed out with his claws. Pikachu realized as the Pidgey flew off that the Charmander was taking no orders, all this power was without guidance from the human!

A grin crossed the Pikachu's face, finally, a real challenge!

* * *

**What's a story with Red without his Pikachu? (Cough cough Pokemon Origins cough cough)**

**In this chapter Aoi finally learns Red's name, and we also get a bit more info on Red's background. Just to clarify, Red's selectively mute, meaning he his capable of speaking, but doesn't. More specifically he has reactive mutism, which means he chose to go mute because of traumatic events in his past. **


	5. Chapter 5

_I've always wondered if he cares about me._

_It may seem like a pathetic question, a desperate one, but I can't help but wonder..._

_Do I mean something to him?_

_Am I something more than a tool, a project? Does he care about my well being on some level? I don't know why I ask myself this, he has never given me any hint._

_Yet I always find myself watching for some sign. Even after these many years._

* * *

"Pika!"

Red jumped back as the yellow creature leapt down from the trees, right in the middle of the forest trail. Charmander seemed equally as surprised, but not frightened like Red was. The creature had a smirk on it's face as it got down into a charging position.

Red had never seen this kind of Pokemon before. Then again, many of the Pokemon he had seen in the last few days were new to him. Dragonite he had recognized, along with most of the wild Pokemon. But the other Pokemon the professor had, like Charmander and the others, were unfamiliar to Red.

The creature's bright red cheeks began to spark with electricity, and Red inched back. Charmander dashed in front of him, "Char char!" He said, waving his small claws.

"Chu," The creature replied, lowering itself closer to the ground. Suddenly it pushed off, dashing towards them in a zigzagging fashion, outlined in a white light.

Charmander was hit with the Quick Attack before he could react. The creature dashed back, cheeks sparking once more. It released a Thundershock, but Charmander dodged. Charmander opened his mouth, firing his new Ember attack.

The Pikachu yelped, surprised by the burning sensation. Charmander used the opportunity to charge forward, slashing with Scratch. The creature retaliated with another Thundershock, moving around Charmander with multiple Quick Attacks.

Red was surprised by the Pokemon's swift movements, the wild Pokemon he had fought previously had never put up much of a fight. The bug types fell to Charmander's Ember without even a battle, and the Rattata and Pidgey seemed to run off before the battle became too intense.

Red remembered something the professor had said, something about an 'encyclopedia'? He reached into his bag, pulling out his Pokedex for the second time, the first time being when he was getting a room at the Pokemon Center. He flipped open the red machine, and the screen flashed on.

"_Pikachu: The Mouse Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pichu. It has small electric sacs on both its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs. Typing: Electric,"_ Red flinched as an electronic voice came out of the speakers, and a picture of the yellow creature popped up on the screen.

Both Pokemon had pause their battle when they had heard the Pokedex, but Pikachu quickly threw herself back into battle, slamming into Charmander with another Quick Attack.

Charmander was fighting back, but his movements seemed to be getting sluggish. The fire lizard had made it across route one without tiring this quickly, yet only half way into the forest the Charmander was slowing down.

The Pikachu's eyes flashed with excitement, sensing victory close. Charmander coughed, firing another Ember. Red slipped the Pokedex back into his bag, nervous. The last thing he wanted was Charmander to be down and then be stuck alone with this battle thirsty rodent. Red reached into his bag once more, pulling out a Pokeball.

Red threw the Pokeball as the Pikachu charged into another Quick Attack. The Pokeball soared from Red's hand, flying over the two Pokemon, and landing off into the bushes. Red paled in embarrassment, but the Pokemon hadn't even realized a Pokeball had been thrown.

Red was tempted to go retrieve the ball, but he didn't want to distract Charmander- or get Pikachu's attention. So he reached into his bag again, grabbing a second ball. Charmander looked back at him, eyes flashing in recognition when he saw the empty Pokeball.

Charmander sprang back, changing tactics. The Pikachu yelped as Charmander pounced on him, pinning him down. Pikachu released an electrical shock, and Charmander responded with a close ranged Ember.

"Char!" He called to Red, now wrestling with the Pikachu in an attempt to keep it down. Red moved closer, tossing the Pokeball. It tumble to the ground, landing next to the Pokemon. Charmander stared at the miss thrown Pokeball, then swiped it with his tail, knocking it into the Pikachu that he was on top of.

The Pikachu turned into red energy, and was sucked into the orb. Charmander fell back to the ground, watching the Pokeball. It was rolling on the ground, the button flashing red. The Pokeball shook once more, then it opened with a flash of white light. The force broke the Pokeball in half, sending each half in opposite directions.

The Pikachu turned to face Charmander. Charmander took a step back- he was nearly out of energy, he couldn't keep up battling.

The Pikachu's cheeks began to spark, but instead of using Thundershock, the electricity seemed to be forming around Pikachu. Charmander's eye's widened as the Pikachu became completely surrounded in electricity. The Pikachu charged right at Charmander.

The Pikachu slammed into Charmander with her whole body, and the electricity was forced into Charmander. His muscles went numb, and Charmander collapsed. The Pikachu stumbled away from Charmander, wincing. It seemed that her own attack has caused damage to herself.

Pikachu took a few steps forward, cheeks sparking at the fallen Charmander. Red sprang forward, and Pikachu looked up in time to see a Pokeball being dropped on her. For the second time the Pikachu was sucked into a Pokeball, which once more began to shake as the Pikachu tried to get out.

The Pokeball dinged, then went still. Red sighed, sinking to the ground. He scooped up Charmander, who was laying limp in his arms. Red scrambled, looking for one of the potions he had gotten. He squirted it on Charmander, who was looking pale. Purple coloring tinged the scales around his snout and eyes.

Red sat there for a moment, holding the Charmander. After a minute he stood up, walking over to the edge of the trail, picking up the first Pokeball he had thrown. He walked back over to the path, picking the two halves of the broken Pokeball, he slipped them all into his bag, then he picked up the last Pokeball- the one with the Pikachu in it.

"Just caught a Pokemon, eh? About time hat-head," Red stiffened as he heard the now familiar voice. He turned, watching Forest approached him. Forest grinned at him, "How was the Viridian Gym?"

Red flinched.

Forest's grinned widened, "I already knew it was closed. I might of considered telling you if Aoi hadn't ran off with you so quickly. She always jumps into things," Red got annoyed a bit, he could have avoided that whole encounter with Proton. "I see you managed to shake her off, perhaps we could exchanged strategies, well, I guess you wouldn't say anything!" He laughed as if he had made a joke.

Charmander seemed to be moving around once more, slinking up onto Red's shoulder, hissing at Forest.

"Hey, how about a battle?" Forest asked, holding up a Pokeball, "A little two-on-two, might be a bit more interesting than the one at the lab."

Red didn't want to, Charmander had already worn himself down and Red didn't even want to open the Pikachu's Pokeball. But Charmander had hopped off his shoulder, taking up a battle stance, "Char!" He growled. Forest grinned, releasing his Pokemon.

"Peter, Gust, let's go!" He cried, releasing a Pidgey. Red was relieved, it wasn't the Squirtle, and it was a kind of Pokemon Charmander had defeated before. Red snapped his fingers, and Charmander released an Ember.

Red didn't know when it started, but snapping had become a small way for him to commune with Charmander in battle. A snap for Ember and two for Scratch, Red had noticed himself doing into during a battle with a bug catcher (which had ended quickly), and Charmander had adopted it as his orders for battle.

He never bothered to do it with wild Pokemon though, all of them Charmander took care of them easily- well, except for the Pikachu.

The Ember was knocked away by a gust of wind, and the Pidgey dove into a Tackle with an order from Forest. Charmander step sided, striking with Scratch. The weariness from the battle with Pikachu seemed to be gone as Charmander pursed the Pidgey, firing another Ember. Red watched the Pidgey get back into the air.

Red couldn't help but notice that Forest was giving the Pidgey an order for every attack, while Charmander would throw in his own attack when Red didn't give him one. Was he battling wrong? Was he putting Charmander at a disadvantage of sorts?

The Pidgey kicked up another Gust, and Charmander growled in annoyance. Charmander ran and jumped, hitting the Pidgey with his claws. A metallic _ping_ echoed as Charmander struck, causing Red to frown.

"Quick Attack!" Forest cried, and his Pidgey became outline in white, and struck Charmander with great speed. Charmander stumbled, coughing. Forest paused, frowning, "Is he alright?"

Red shrugged, looking at Charmander. The Pokemon had lost its energy again, trembling. Suddenly Charmander collapsed, shaking again. Red ran forward, picking up Charmander, and Forest walked over.

The purple tinge in Charmander's scales had spread, while the whites of his eyes were now a pale green. Red stared at Charmander, and Forest whacked Red in the back of his head, "You idiot! He's poisoned, and you're letting it battle?!"

Red had gone very still, not moving. Charmander whimpered, shaking harder.

"You're just sitting there?! For Mew's sake do you even care about it, do something!?" Forest snarled. Red trembled, reaching into his bag, pulling out another potion, "No- that's for damage, not poison, tell me you have antidotes," Forest growled. Red looked up at him fearfully, shaking his head. Forest muttered something under his breath, searching his own bag.

After a moment he pulled out a yellow bottle with a syringe. He dipped the syringe in, filling it up, "Is he still conscious?" Red nodded. Forest knelt down and placed the syringe in Charmander's mouth, squirting in a clear substance. Charmander shuddered, but swallowed. After a moment Charmander had stopped shaking, and some color came back to his scales.

"That's better," Forest muttered, "Don't push your Pokemon when their poisoned like that. In an official battle being poisoned will never do more than knock out the Pokemon, but in the wild it's different. The Pokemon aren't controlling the amount of poison, they could put in a lethal dosage. Moving around and battling causes the poison to spread quicker, so be careful. I just avoid Weedle all together."

Red nodded quickly. Forest hooked the syringe back onto the antidote bottle, and offered it to Red, "Here, in case something else happens. I have more," Red accepted it, slipping it into his bag. Charmander sat up, climbing onto Red's shoulder.

Forest huffed, and his old demeanor slipped back into his face, "Well, no point in finishing that battle when your Pokemon's half gone," He smirked slightly, "I'm going to Pewter, and I'll get a gym badge before you. Smell ya' later."

Red blinked, watching him go deeper in the forest. Red glanced at Charmander, no matter how annoying or rude Forest seemed to be, Red couldn't deny that he cared for Pokemon. Perhaps Red had been a little quick to judge him. Yet Red trembled, rubbing his head were Forest had hit him.

"Char?" Charmander asked. Red shrugged, walking further down the path, taking care to avoid any Weedle that crossed their path.

* * *

Red stepped out of the Pewter Pokemon Center, holding a Pokeball in his hand. Charmander followed in his wake, cocking his head as Red went to the edges of the town. The forest towered as they approached. Charmander glanced up, noticing several wild Pokemon watching them.

Red's snapping refocused Charmander's attention. Charmander looked at his trainer, who was pointing at him, then the Pikachu's Pokeball. Red nodded to show he understood, taking up a battle stance, ready to defend his trainer if the Pikachu choose to attack.

The Pikachu came out in a burst of red light. She sat there for a moment, then she began to stretch. Charmander wanted to relax at this action, seeing that the Pikachu wasn't going to attack, but he just couldn't. Something in him told him to stay cautious of the Pikachu, almost as if he were afraid of it.

One glance at Red told Charmander that these emotions were coming from the boy. Red was watching the Pikachu with a mixture of worry and fear. The Pikachu continued stretching, her heart shaped tail whipping side to side. Finally she sat up on her back legs, facing them. Red stumbled back, and the Pikachu watched them.

She approached Charmander, ears up and tail erect, pacing around Charmander. Charmander was no wild Pokemon, but he had met enough to understand this was Pikachu's decision point- if she decided she trusted Charmander or not. Charmander tried to relax his stiff body, he didn't want to appear threatening, but Red's emotion seemed to have a stronger hold on him than Charmander's own will.

The Pikachu sniffed Charmander's claws, then his face. Charmander held still as she looked at the flame at the end of his tail, then she walked away. Charmander sighed, relieved that he wouldn't have to battle the Pikachu again, but yet he couldn't relax. Caution prickled under his scales, his tail twitching.

The Pikachu turned towards Red. Red drew back as the Pikachu approached, she frowned as Red pressed himself up against a tree, "Chu!" She snapped at Red, sniffing his shoes. Charmander was worried that Red would do something stupid, like kick the Pikachu away, but he was as stiff as a board.

She stared up at him, as if trying to decide something. After a moment she nodded to herself, and trotted away from Red, settling near Charmander. Red watched them for a moment, as if he expected Pikachu to suddenly turn on them. Red stared at the Pikachu's Pokeball in his hand, then at Charmander.

Charmander beamed up at him. They had a new team mate.

* * *

Charmander found himself once more out of his Pokeball that night, along with the Pikachu. Red still seemed weary of the electric type, especially when her cheeks sparked, which was quite often. Whenever Charmander tried to talk to her, when Red stumbled, and when strangers looked at her the wrong way- her cheeks would spark.

Charmander watched her, interested. She had been so aggressive in battle, and yet had no problem with being captured.

Currently she was perched on the Pokemon Center's pillow, staring at Red. He was standing a ways off from the bed, in his pajamas, looking uneasy. The Pikachu flicked her tail, as if daring her new trainer to come closer. Red glanced at Charmander helplessly. Pikachu laid her head down on the pillow, yawning.

Red sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Charmander. Charmander crawled closer, looking up at Red. Red stared back, his unnatural red eyes scanning him. Red raised his hand, touching the top of Charmander's head with his pointer finger.

A strange sensation flowed through Charmander. His nerves tingled and he felt strangely alert. His mind became a blank slate, and he became completely still. Charmander sat there not moving, and a single thought entered his mind:

_Aiden._

Red pulled his hand away, and Charmander regained control. Red looked tired, leaning back onto the bed. Charmander sat up, trying to think. 'Aiden'... It most definitely hadn't been _his_ thought, which meant it had to have come from Red.

But who was Aiden?

Charmander slunk off Red's lap as he sat up once more, rubbing his head. Charmander paced a bit, thinking. That had seemed to take a lot of energy out of Red, so why had he told him the name? Then he paused, realizing who 'Aiden' was.

It was him.

A warmth bloomed in Charmander, he had a name. A toothy grin spread across his face, _a name!_

Red hesitated, then approached the Pikachu. She opened one coppery eye, and Red stretched out his hand. She stayed still. Red gulped, placing his finger on her head, closing his eyes. Charmander did the same, trying to reach Red's thoughts.

_Tempest._

The word was quiet in Aiden's mind, but he heard it. He looked over at the newly named Tempest. She watched Red, not moving. Red sighed, but he looked tired, even more than before. He collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to use the blanket or try to get Tempest off the pillow. Aiden climbed on top of him, trying to keep him warm. Tempest watched them for a moment, before closing her eyes for good.

* * *

**Finally, they have names!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Red ran through the gray hallways, panicking. He knew he shouldn't have gone down here, yet he had. Why did he betray nearly three weeks of trust for a simple ball?_

_Red clutched the small blue bouncy ball to his chest. He loved the ball, it was one of the few things he could call his own. His current possessions and toys weren't anything like the toys he had when he was with Mother, but they meant much more to him than anything else. They were his way to escape from his new life. They brightened up his darkest days._

_That is why when his ball had rolled down onto the third floor, Red just had to go get it._

_He knew the rules. He was to stay on the fourth floor at all times unless otherwise directed. He was to stay out of the way unless otherwise directed. He was to do whatever he was directed to do._

_But here he was on the third floor._

_Red gulped. The small ball had gained momentum when it went down the stairs, and he had to dart through the hallways to catch up with it. But when he turned around to head back to the fourth floor before anyone noticed, he couldn't find his way back. He had gone through every hallway and room he could find, but couldn't find the stairway back. He had found the elevator, but you needed a pass to get in them. Father said he wasn't ready for a pass yet._

_Red shuddered he thought of Father. Chills raced through him and for a moment he forgot to breath. Red let out a small gasp, dropping his ball. Red quickly scooped it up before he could lose it again, his heart racing._

_He had gone two and a half weeks without breaking a rule. Nearly three weeks of doing everything right. Red always tried to obey, but the smallest things would catch him off guard: Not looking in Father's eyes, not standing up quickly enough, not speaking when asked to._

_Red gulped again, touching his throat. He didn't understand what was wrong with him, his mother use to always called him a Chatot by how much he had talked. Even after her and Silver's death he had screamed and yelled at the man that had taken them from him. But now... When he saw his father's cold black eyes something froze up in his throat. He did try to speak, he really did, but the most he could manage where small whimpers. These noises only seemed to make Father more angry though._

_But Red had been trying his hardest these last few weeks. He had stayed in his room and had not bothered the people with the 'R' on their shirts. He ate all the food he was given and did everything his father asked him to do. Of course he hadn't seen Father much in the last few weeks, but Red was fine with that. Sometimes Father took Red with him the entire day, and Red hated it. Being around him the whole day just increased the chances of Red messing up in front of him. _

_A sob clung to Red's throat. If he couldn't find his way back quickly then everything he had been building up for the last few weeks would have been in vain. He had been working so hard to prove to Father that he could listen, even when no one was around. That he didn't have to been dragged along everywhere. The longer he was around Father the bigger chance there was for him to make a stupid mistake. Why did Father expect so much from him? Why did Father go out of his way to make him miserable?_

_He didn't know how long he had been with Father, maybe a year or so? He use to count the days but he always lost count. He was six when Mother had died, had a birthday pasted for him, or was he still six? Red sat down in the hallway, shaking. Red brought his knees up to his chest, clutching the bouncy ball. He would just sit here until Father found him. It would be worse if he was moving around, it could look like he was running or hiding. If he just stayed here perhaps the consequence for coming down here would be less._

_Red trembled harder, tears welling up in his bright red eyes. He'd been trying so hard! Why did Father only notice his mistakes? Couldn't he ever be happy that Red had done something right rather than pointing out everything he did wrong? Father never let anything slide, and Red's trip downstairs wouldn't go unnoticed if he couldn't get back. Fear crawled under Red's skin, why did he go after the ball? The child buried his face into his knees, sobbing._

"_Hey," A voice said, "Hey, kid!"_

_Red stopped crying, looking up. A woman with blue eyes was looking down at him, she looked stern, but not threatening. She was watching him with a mixture of surprise and suspicion, "What are you doing here?" She asked sharply._

_Red noticed an 'R' on her gray shirt. He gulped, she worked for Father. He lowered his head in shame, she knew that he shouldn't be here. Red took a breath of air, hoping his voice wouldn't fail him now. He looked up at the brown haired woman._

"_I- I'm sorry," Red whispered, "I didn't- I don't want- I t-tried to get back."_

_She frowned a bit._

"_I can't find my way back!" Red cried._

_She shook her head, "I don't know how you wandered into the base, come with me. I'll take you back outside kid."_

_Red's eyes widened, "Father said not to go outside," He whispered, "I can't go out there."_

_She looked confused, "You're suppose to be here?"_

"_N-no," Red's lip trembled, "I'm suppose to be on the fourth floor, but- b-but-" He started crying. The woman's gaze softened a bit, and she knelt down beside him._

"_But?" She prompted gently._

_Red liked her voice. It was soft. It wasn't yelling or demanding answers from him. Red felt the lump in his throat shrink a bit, he felt like he could talk again without worry._

"_B-but my ball fell downstairs," He explained quietly, "And I went to got get it. But once I got it I couldn't find the stairs. I've been looking and looking, but they're gone. I sat here waiting for Father, he'll be mad that I went down here," He shook, "I don't like it when he's mad, it h-hurts."_

"_Then why don't you just explain what happened?" She asked gently. She found it a bit strange that someone would bring their child to headquarters, but she had heard stories about whole families joining Team Rocket through, "I'm sure he'll understand."_

"_I can't talk to him," Red told her, and she got another confused look, "I try, I really do try, but I can't! My throat just goes stiff and I'm just too scared. I can't form any words around him, but I try!"_

_The girl was looking at him in pity. She pushed herself to her feet, and she held out her hand, "Come on," She said, "I'll take you to the fourth floor."_

_Red's eyes brightened for the first time in a while, his tone was stunned, but was filled with pure happiness, "You will!?"_

_She nodded, "I was heading up there anyways. I have to grab something first, but that can wait," She said. Red leapt to his feet, hope blooming in his chest. If he could get to the fourth floor before Father noticed he was gone he'd be safe. Even if he was keeping something from Father, but it would be better if he never knew. The woman gave him a tight smile, and made her way down one of the hallways. Red followed her, making a mental map in his head just in case something like this happened again._

_What had seemed like a labyrinth to Red seemed to be nothing for the women, quickly guided Red through the hallways. His eyes lit up as he began to recognize some of the places, and before he knew it the heavenly stairway that lead to his prison laid in front of him. He took a few steps forward, paused, and ran back to the lady. She looked surprised as Red wrapped his arms around, but patted his head, "T-thank you!" Red said. She nodded, and Red slipped his bouncy ball into his pocket of his jacket, then raced up the stairs and the lady walked further down the hall._

_Red paused when he was near the top, catching his breath. He'd go straight to his room, act like nothing had never happened. He would be just fine. Red scaled the last few steps, sighing with relief. He was back, he was safe. He turned down the hallway, ready to race to his bedroom when:_

"_Going somewhere?"_

_Red's blood turned to ice. His heart skipped several beats and his breath was knocked out of him. He turned, taking a quick gasp of air as his heart began racing. Father was at the other end of the hall, watching him with a miffed expression. Red's knees shook, his timing is what was wrong. Had he arrived just minute before, then his father would have been in another part of the building. His father had just turned the corner as Red had crested the top of the stairs._

_Red tried to open his mouth, but his jaw was locked shut. The lump was back in his throat, and those black eyes were boring into him that made Red want to curl up and hide. Red tried to force himself to speak, but his voice refused to work. Terror rose in him as his father took a step forward._

"_I had thought you would be past this sort of point," His father's voice was calm. Too calm for Red to relax, "I gave you a place you could roam unconditionally, was that too much for you to handle?"_

_Red wanted to explain that it was an accident, he wanted to explain he didn't want to break the rules, but his ability to speak had left him. Fear quickly took over as his father took another step. Red's whole body was shaking, he did what instincts told him to do._

_He ran._

_As he took his first step he knew it was a mistake, but he couldn't stop. Running was only going to delay the inevitable, not stop it. Tears ran down his face as he took off, running would probably only make Father even more mad. But stopping was the last thing Red wanted to do. Red turned around a corner, he didn't know where he was running to, anywhere that was away from_ him_._

_His adrenaline was fueling his run for the time being, but it wouldn't let him run forever. He closed his eyes, what was the point of running? Sobbing, he pulled himself to a stop as the hallway turned again. He trembled, leaning his face into the corner. He sank to his knees, head pressed into the corner of the hallway. He didn't want to move, but yet he wanted to run._

_He stiffened as he heard the sound of leather shoes coming down the hall. His father wasn't running, he knew that Red would stop eventually. Red didn't move as his father came closer, he just sat there, sniffling. His father scoffed, "Pathetic, you can't even follow through on your own antics."_

_Red let out a small noise, curling up tighter. He wanted his father to quit talking to him and just get everything over with. Talking just made everything last longer, but he seemed to enjoy talking Red down. Red just didn't get it, why did Father treat him like this?_

"_Look at me Red," He said quietly. _

_Red gulped, turning. Red eyes met black ones as father and son stared at each other, no words passing between them._

"_... Boss?" A voice asked, and Red's heart jumped,_ it was her! "_Giovanni, sir?"_

_Red's father sighed, turning. The brown haired women was there, holding some folders in her arms, "Yes?" Giovanni glared at her._

"_I... Um, is everything alright here?" She asked, noticing Red. He watched her with worry, she had helped him, but no one was stronger than Father._

"_There is nothing going on here," Giovanni said, "I am simply speaking with my son. Move along," Red cringed, Father was giving an order. He knew that people didn't disobey Father. The nice lady would have to move on._

_But she didn't. Red stared at her, what was she doing? She looked at Red with a small smile, then looked back at his father, "Giovanni, sir, is this about... um, your son being downstairs?" She asked quietly._

"_His name is Red," Giovanni said, "And yes, it is. This is none of your concern though," His tone made it quite clear for her to drop the subject._

_She gulped a bit, "Sir... I met him when he was down there. He... He didn't want to be down there," She explained cautiously. If he was truly the boss's son then she was worried, she knew how the leader of Team Rocket could be, "He told me that he was simply retrieving his ball. He got lost and was looking for his way back, and I showed him to the stairs. He was in tears because he couldn't get back, sir. I'm positive he had no intention of causing trouble."_

"_He spoke to you?" Giovanni stated, surprised._

_She hesitated, "Y-yes sir. He did."_

_Giovanni glanced back at Red. The boy pressed his back as far back into the corner as he could go, feet slipping on the ground as he tried to go farther back. His cold eyes swept over Red, and he returned his gaze to the women. She lowered her head a bit, she knew she should be gone, but she also wanted to help the boy. She knew she was losing control of the situation._

"_H-he spoke about you," She tried, unsure if this comment would work for or against her and the boy, "I know he's sorry,"_

_Giovanni turned back to Red, "Go to my office. You will wait there for me."_

_Red's eyes were wide, and he nodded. The dark haired boy sprang to his feet, darting down the hallway so quickly that the women could barely processed what happened as Giovanni turned towards her._

"_You are not to interrupt any of my dealings with my son again. If anything gets back to me you will find yourself transferred to a much less pleasant job," Giovanni said evenly, "Good day."_

_The woman gulped as her boss walked away, unsure if she had done the boy a favor, or had just made everything worse for him._

* * *

"Red!"

Aoi was waiting outside the Pokemon Center like an Arbok waiting to strike. She sprang at Red he walked out of the Pokemon Center. He scampered back as she bounced up and down in front of him.

"Guess what! Guess what!" She cried excitedly. Red took a few more steps back as she pulled out a Pokeball, "I caught a new Pokemon! Meet Shou!" She released a Spearow from the Pokeball. The flying type had a sharp look in his eyes as he scanned the city. Aoi let out another squeal, returning the Pokemon, "He won't be much help in this gym, but Kiku will do just fine!"

Red paled at the word 'gym'. Aiden immediately curled up on Red's shoulder, but the Pikachu at his heels seemed unaffected by Red's emotional wave. Aoi looked at Red apologetically.

"Yeah... Last time didn't go too well... But I know this one is open! Forest already got his badge!" Her face hardened, "That little brat... Only talking to me to mock me... We'll show him- we'll both get that badge! Come on Red!"

Red didn't see how he had gotten involved into her feud with Forest, but he had no choice but to follow her as she clamped her hand around his wrist, dragging him off towards yet another gym. Tempest scratched her ear, then darted through the streets after Red.

She didn't mind being caught, she had always wanted to get stronger. But it was pretty clear to her that her trainer had no control over them. She had pressed her boundries last night, seeing what he'd do if she pushed him, but he had done nothing. She had been able to walk right over him with no problem, and this girl- Aoi- seemed to have control over him. He put up no fight with anything.

It made her wonder what had made him like that.

The Pewter Gym, like Viridian City's, was simple with an earthy design. But the Viridian Gym had a slightly regal appearance that the dull Pewter Gym seemed to be lacking. Red gulped a bit, why did Aoi keep dragging him to these places?

"Let's go!" Aoi said, pushing him towards the entrance. Red found himself hoping that the doors were locked at this gym as well. But unlike the Viridian Gym, the doors swung open. Aoi grinned, leading them both inside. The Pewter Gym was lit darker than the Pokemon Center, and with the rocky walls and field it gave it the appearance of a cave. The battlefield had several large boulders positioned in different places on the field. At the far end of the battlefield was a man with darker skin. He was wearing a vest and had dark spiky hair.

He was chatting with a man, but looked up as Aoi and Red drew near, "Ah, more challengers? Look's like we're busy this morning Carl."

The man, Carl, looked up as well. He seemed to be a judge of some sort, scanning them, "You two are challengers, right?" He asked, his voice higher pitched for a male.

Red shook his head, but Aoi nodded, "Yep, we both want our first Gym badge! I'm Aoi and this here is Red! He doesn't talk much but he's really nice, so don't be rude to him!"

Red shuttered, what part of Aoi thought it was a good idea to tell a stranger information!? Anything could be used against them, they needed to stay unnoticed by others. Attention meant a bigger chance of someone noticing you messing up, and mistakes meant trouble.

There couldn't be any mistakes.

The man smiled, "Well, my name is Brock, and I am the gym leader here. I use rock types, which is the type you'll be facing. This will both be your first badge, right?" Brock asked.

Aoi nodded, "We tried the Viridian Gym, but someone said the gym leader was gone! Then he chased us into an alleywa- Red, what's wrong?" Red was shaking his head vigorously, how stupid was she?! She frowned, but sighed, "Okay. Fine," She turned back to Brock, "Yes, this is our first badge!"

He frowned at the comment about the Viridian gym, but nodded, "I'll be using one Pokemon per battle. You may use as many as you wish, you get the badge when my Pokemon is down. These are first badge Pokemon, meaning they were raised to face trainers without any badges. Carl, go grab two of them," Brock said to the judge.

Carl muttered something, walking away. Brock grinned, "Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Aoi said without hesitation, running up to take the challenger's place on the edge of the field. Red stumbled back a few steps, not quite understanding what was going on. He knew that Aoi was going to battle this man for a badge of some sort, but why? What was the point of this, what would the badge do? He supposed that Aoi could do what she wanted, but why did he have to? He could make his choices now.

A shiver ran through him, he could leave right now if he wanted to. No one could stop him if he walked out, there would be no negative affects of trying to leave. Red glanced towards the door, he could leave, but he was scared to push his new found freedom. Everytime he got some space or a choice he knew he had to be careful. Act too excited or push his limits too much and it would be taken away. He gulped, shaking, and decided to stay.

Carl was back, holding two Pokeballs in his hand. He handed them to Brock, then ran to the sidelines of the battlefield. Red watched as Brock selected a Pokemon, along with Aoi. There was no tension in the air like when he and Forest battled. There was no aggression in their expressions or anything. This battle did not seem to be to settle something or to face someone, but for fun. Red cocked his head, didn't they have a reason to attack?

"Geodude!" Brock cried, releasing the same species of Pokemon that had help Red get away. This rock type looked younger and not as wise as the one that had helped Red, but seeing it still relaxed Red a bit. The rocky creature rolled out onto the field, taking up a battle stance. Aoi sent out Kiku, and the small Bulbasaur raced around excitedly. Red had never seen a Bulbasaur before Kiku, but it did seem a bit small. She was no bigger than the Geodude's rocky body, including the bulb on her back. Both Pokemon seemed excited to battle, which just confused Red further. _Why do they want to fight? Why do they want to get hurt?_

Then a horrible thought struck Red, _Why do I let them?_

He looked down at Tempest. The female Pikachu was watching the battle with excitement, tail twitching. Red realized that when she had attacked them in the forest she didn't seem them as a threat to food or territory, she had wanted to fight Charmander. Aiden had gone into battle for Red, not because he felt forced, but because he had wanted to fight. What was their reasoning? Project M2 had always attacked out of hatred and vengeance. Red had spent many hours listening to the clone's complaints.

"Geodude, Tackle," Brock ordered. The Geodude rolled up into a sphere, slamming into Kiku. The Bulbasaur was sent flying by the larger and heavier target. Red winced, why didn't Aoi use that Spearow? It could fly around while the Geodude was grounded. The Bulbasaur got back on her feet, racing towards the Geodude.

"Use Poison Powder!" Aoi cried, and the Bulbasaur released a plume of purple spores from her bulb, which landed around the Geodude. The Geodude coughed, rolling out of the cloud. His eyes looked heavy as he raised himself up on his arms, waiting for an order, "Now Vine Whip!"

Red was surprised when the two small vines made the Geodude fly back, cringing. How had the Bulbasaur's attack done so much damage to the rock type? Brock nodded, "Tackle," The Geodude stood up again, slamming into Kiku, "Keep it up."

The Bulbasaur was thrown around, as the Geodude hit her again and again. Yet the Vine Whip had seemed to have done more damage than the multiple Tackles. Red frowned, trying to understand. He recalled how Aiden's Ember had knocked out the bug types quickly, but Tempest had lasted much longer against the same attack. He knew that Tempest was just probably stronger, but what if there was another reason? Could the type of attack affect the damage output somehow?

Red recalled how Forest had mocked Red for choosing Charmander. How is water type only had two 'weaknesses' while fire had three 'weaknesses'. Red leaned forward, watching the battle with much more interest. Was grass one of the Geodude's weakness? Is that how Kiku was winning against the larger opponent? A small smile flickered onto Red's face, that was kind of cool.

The Geodude was poisoned from the Poison Powder, but it was only now that it seemed to be catching up to him. The rocky creature took deep breaths, his earthly skin creaking as he moved. Aiden had tired out quickly when he was poisoned back into the forest. Red was watching the rock type closely, wondering how long it could last against the toxin.

Tempest stamped her feet, cheeks sparking. Red backed away, he _hated_ electricity, it hurt. Why did he have to catch a creature that could use electric attacks? The Pikachu whined, she wanted to battle _so_ badly. Her heart shaped tail was twitching uncontrollably. She wanted to change onto the battlefield and give both Pokemon on it her best Thunder Shock. But she had a trainer now, she had given up her freedom of attacking when she wanted to travel with a trainer, which meant the chance to become stronger through.

She turned a coppery eye to her trainer. He was watching her nervously, the human was scared of her! Good, that meant she had more control. She could dimly feel the fear coming from him, but she shrugged it off. She didn't understand how the Charmander let this boy control his emotions, it was so easy to brush it off! She may of resigned to follow this human around and listen to him in battle, but no one would tell her how to feel! Stupid creatures.

"Vine Whip again!" Aoi cried, and Kiku brought her two vines down in a final blow onto the Geodude. The rock type rolled away, eyes rolled back into his head.

Carl stepped forward, "Brock's Geodude is unable to battle, so the match goes to Aoi."

"Yes!" Aoi cried, she grinned as her Bulbasaur ran back towards her, "Beat that, Forest!" She scooped up her grass type, "Good job Kiku, I knew you could do it!"

Red watched as Brock returned his Geodude, then approached Aoi, handing her a small badge, "This is the boulder badge," He said. She let out a high pitched squeal, snapping the piece of metal from him.

"Awesome!" She cried, and Red frowned. She had just had her Pokemon fight so she could have a piece of metal. He glanced at the Bulbasaur, she looked happy too. What was the point of having a piece of metal!? Aoi turned towards Red, grinning, "You're turn!"

Red was about to shake his head and walk out. He wasn't going to battle for no reason, but Tempest had other ideas. She charged past Red, and leapt onto the battlefield, "Pikapika!" She cried to Red. She wasn't going to be held back from a battle like this. Her trainer stared at her, as if begging her to go. She sparked her cheeks, and he paled. Red scrambled over to where Aoi had been standing during the gym match, and he looked over at Brock. Tempest grinned, it was so easy to control her trainer. That was definitely nice.

Brock smiled, "Even if it's an electric type, I like her attitude. Ready to battle, Red?"

Tempest growled, did people have something against electric types? First Red, now this guy! Tempest couldn't wait to beat his Pokemon down.

Behind her, Red nodded slowly. Aoi was sitting on the edge of the battlefield, watching with excitement. Brock grinned again, and threw his Pokeball. The sphere opened, releasing a huge, towering Onix. Tempest's cheeks sparked as she got ready to fight. Carl gave the signal for the battle to begin, and Brock cried, "Onix, Tackle!"

* * *

**Red's first gym battle next chapter, and also we get a bit of Red's backstory this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the long space between updates. Now that we're past his first gym battle I hope to start uploading more often.**

* * *

_Mother was always there for me. It had always been me, her, and brother. Other people were a rare sight for us. But we were never lonely, she'd tell us stories. Stories and Ho-oh and Lugia, stories from her home land. She said that one day she'd take us there._

_Then _they _started to come. Those people in the black. I never liked them, they spoke to mother rudely, but she never got upset. No matter how badly they treated her. They all seemed to be rude to her when _he _wasn't around. They always glared at mother in a way that made me want to run._

_Except for _him_. _

He _never spoke badly to her, _his _voice was quiet, comforting. _He _said _he _cared about her. _He _seemed to truly love being around her. _He _always spoke kindly to her._

_Father has never spoken that way to me._

* * *

"Onix, Tackle!" Brock cried, and the large rock snake dove forward, slamming into Tempest with enough force to launch her across the field. Red cringed as the small yellow Pokemon tumbled on the rocky battlefield.

The Pikachu growled, dragging herself to her feet. Her cheeks began to spark, building up an electric charge. The Onix glared down at her as Tempest released her strongest Thunder Shock, temporarily lighting up the dim room. Red flinched a bit as the electricity hit the Onix, but the rock type didn't even cringe as he was hit. Tempest took a step back in surprise, no one had ever taken her electric attacks like that before, not even other Pikachus had such a resistance.

Brock smiled, "Rock Tomb," The Onix swung his tail, three spheres of white energy forming. The spheres solidified into rocks, being launched at Tempest. She darted forward with Quick Attack, dodging the move. She slammed into the Onix's side with a solid _thunk._ She whimpered, stumbling away. She growled a bit, letting loose another Thunder Shock, but the Onix only coiled around her, unaffected. Why weren't her attacks doing anything?

"Red!" Aoi cried, "Call her back, electric moves can't do anything to a ground type!"

Red chewed on his lips, looking at Tempest. She sent a few sparks in his direction, she wasn't done with this battle yet! She charged at the Onix with another Quick Attack. The Onix slammed into her as Brock ordered it into another Tackle. Tempest groaned as she was flung back.

"And normal type moves barely do a thing to rock types..." Aoi added quietly.

"Pika!" Tempest cried, wheeling back into a Quick Attack. Some damage was better than nothing! The Onix took the attack once more, looking back at Brock, like it wanted a better opponent. Tempest growled in frustration, deciding to pull off her strongest move. She began to spark, surrounding herself with electricity. She threw herself forward, her whole body encased in a powerful electric current. The Onix's eyes widened in surprise as she darted at him, slamming her whole body into him.

Usually this attack would make her opponents faint, so Tempest could only stare as every last bolt was absorbed into the Onix like it was nothing. She winced as the remains of the electric attack shocked her, a powerful move at the cost of her own health. She panted, tired and frustrated. Brock whistled, impressed.

"Your Pikachu knows Volt Tackle?" He asked, "That's pretty neat, typically you only get that move under certain breeding conditions," He shook his head, "No matter, it still can't touch my Pokemon. Rock Tomb it again, Onix."

Tempest was hit with the rock type move, stumbling. She groaned, head hurting from every time she had hit the Onix with her body.

"Char!" She turned, Aiden was calling to her. The Charmander was waving for her to come back, along with Red. Pikachu growled, she wanted to battle! But she sighed as well, she was now part of a team. She reluctantly returned to Red's side as Aiden jumped off of Red's shoulder, running to take Tempest's place. Tempest crossed her paws as the Charmander took up a battling position.

Red snapped his fingers, and Aiden let out an Ember. The Onix cringed at bit as the small bits of fire hit his rocky skin, but the same skin protected him against the majority of the damage.

"Onix, Rock Tomb!" Brock ordered. Red panicked a bit as the Onix summoned more rocks, this creature was massive! Aiden panicked too as Red's emotions ran through him, and he darted out of the way of the rocks that fell. The Onix slinked forward, using his large body to block the Charmander's escape, "Now Slam!" Onix lifted up his tail, ready to bring it down on Aiden.

_Snap snap!_ Red quickly snapped twice, and Aiden slipped under the Onix's tail, scratching at his face. The Onix drew back it's head, and Aiden clung to its neck.

"Shake it off!" Brock ordered, and Onix flung his head wildly as Charmander hung on for dear life. Luckily his claws on his hands and feet gave him a good grip on the rough surface. Aiden's eyes were closed, and he opened his mouth, releasing an Ember at the Onix.

"Char!"

"_Rah!"_ Onix cried, and he slammed his face against the ground. Aiden's Ember had hit him in the eye. Aiden leapt off the rock snake, and fired another Ember.

The Onix reared up, letting out another roar of pain. Aiden panted, darting forward to Scratch him again.

"Behind you, use Slam!" Brock ordered.

The Onix, still slightly blinded, swung his tail around, catching Charmander. Aiden yelped, and he was thrown to his back, right in front of the Onix. Red gulped.

But Brock didn't give an order, but put a hand on his hip. Charmander curled up, shaking like Red in the Onix's shadow, "You're Pokemon are depending too much on themselves," Brock commented, "That Pikachu of yours didn't even have orders and it seems to lack an understanding of types. In the wild Pokemon can handle other wild Pokemon, since neither have a trainer. But when one side has orders their battle ability sky rockets. Humans give the Pokemon an extra set of eyes, medicine, and strategies. You instantly put them at a disadvantage when they are on their own on the battlefield," Brock sighed, "What I am saying is you need to be one with your Pokemon when you battle. It's a joint effort."

Red glanced at Aiden, who was still reacting to Red's emotional wave of worry. Red instantly severed the connection, realizing that he was putting him at a disadvantage that way as well. Charmander stopped shivering, slowly standing up. Aiden looked back at Red, confused at the sudden cut off. Red chewed on his lip, looking up at Brock from across the field. He seemed to be waiting for Red to make the next move, even though he had the opportunity to attack.

_You need to be one with your Pokemon._ Red thought over Brock's words, and he made eye contact with Charmander. Aiden had always been easy to connect with on an emotional level, he never had to struggle to get into the Charmander's mind. Red took a deep breath, reaching out to Aiden, similarly to how he had when Proton had cornered them, but this time he wasn't being forceful. He offered the connection to the Charmander, and when there wasn't any resistance from Aiden the Charmander's emotions quickly filled Red's head, and his in Aiden's. A two way bond.

Aiden immediately snapped to attention, tingles running through his whole body. The strange sensation made him feel alert, like a slap to the face. He could feel Red's uncertainly, but his curiosity as well. He could tell that Red was interested by the battles, fascinated by the way people were acting, but unsure about the process. He could tell that Red wanted to win, but was unsure about doing so. Charmander shuddered, this was different that just feeling and taking on Red's emotions, but more like he was in Red's mind. He just didn't feel his trainer's emotions, but _why _he was feeling that way, the thoughts behind the feelings. It wasn't just one emotion at a time, but a whole wave of different feelings all at once, twisting in and out of him.

It also wasn't overwhelming. Usually Aiden was overtaken by the emotions Red emitted with no choice, but this was different, he had accepted this.

Charmander glanced back at Red, who seemed to be feeling the same thing, but with Aiden's emotions. Red blinked his eyes, which had taken on a more brilliant shade of crimson red. Aiden lowered himself into a charging position, not sure how long Brock was going to wait for them to make a move. Red didn't move, but Aiden could tell that he wanted him to attack. He could feel it. The fire type darted forward, allowing Red's thoughts to become his own- _Go behind the Onix, stay in its blind spot, it can't attack you if it can't see you._

They weren't direct thoughts, but somehow a mixture of a thought and a feeling. Right now a feeling of caution was radiating from Red, to fight but to avoid getting hurt. Charmander slipped under the Onix's tail, running behind it. He could feel the dirt battlefield under his claws, yet at the same time he felt like he was on the side of the battlefield, watching.

He felt his body turn, slashing with his claws at a chink in the Onix's rocky armor. Charmander blinked, unsure if he or Red had thought of the attack. The Onix groaned in annoyance, turning to face Charmander, but Aiden had already took off running again. He slunk into the Onix's shadow, releasing an Ember as the rock snake turned, aiming for his eyes.

Red cringed as Onix let out roar, that was the second time he had been hit in the eye. Red had never been hurt in the eye before, but it didn't look pleasant.

Brock nodded, "Better," He seemed a bit confused on Charmander's sudden and much sleeker battle movements, especially without any noticeable orders from Red, but didn't question it. The boy must have his own way of communicating with his Pokemon if he didn't speak. The boy had listened to his advice and improved. That was his job as a gym leader, "Much better, but in the end none of your attacks can do any serious harm to Onix. This battle will go to us. Onix, Rock Tomb!"

The Onix had his eyes closed, still recovering from the Embers, summoned three more rocks around his tail. He launched them at a dodging Aiden, who managed to avoid the first two. The third stone caught the Charmander in the chest, knocking him to the ground with the force. The Onix dove forward, ramming into Aiden with a powerful Tackle. Red cringed in pain as his fire type was flung back into the wall on the side of the battlefield. Red could feel the force of impact on his own back, and his chest throbbed as if he had been hit with the Rock Tomb himself.

Carl sighed, stepping forward, "The Charmander is unable to battle, so the match goes too-"

"_Char..."_

Aiden began to stir, his blue eyes gleaming. He stumbled to his feet, the flame on his tail flaring up to a harsh blue, flickering in and out with white fire. Aiden became surrounded in a fiery aura, claws gleaming as he took several steps forward.

Brock blinked, "... It just activated Blaze. Your Charmander's ability," He muttered.

"Mander!" Aiden sprang forward, a fierce look in his eyes. His claws shone with a metallic gleam, and he struck Onix in the side with a Metal Claw. The super effective attack made the Onix roar, and Charmander slide back.

Red stumbled back as well, clasping his hand to his head. He couldn't see a thing, blackness was taking over his vision. Aoi took notice of this, glancing at him with worry. Charmander was still in the heat of the battle, the fiery aura still surrounding him as he released a Blaze-boosted Ember. The sheer heat of the attack managed to get through the Onix's rocky skin, finally dealing a reasonable amount of damage to the snake. The Onix recoiled, sliding his side into the cool dirt trying to sooth the burning sensation rushing through him.

Aiden leapt forward one more time, delivering a final Metal Claw to the back of the Onix's head. The rock type shook, his large body falling to the ground. The Charmander huffed as a few seconds of silence past by, then Carl stepped forward as Brock glanced at him.

"Onix is unable to battle, meaning the match goes to Red and his Charmander," Carl declared, he turned towards Red, "For defeating Brock in battle you have earned the Boulder Badge-"

Carl paused mid sentence as he watched Red stumble forward, then fall to the ground, out cold.

* * *

"... I could find no signs of any problems. Has he ever had fainting spells in the past?"

"I don't know. I only really got to know him a few days ago!" Aoi's high pitched voice whimpered, "... Well, Professor Oak did find him unconscious, but he said that was from a lack of nutrition and being worn from the wilderness... So I don't know..."

"Hmm..." An unfamiliar voice mused, "Well, I assume that he his fine nutritionally now that he's back with people. I believe he fainted due to exhaustion. If he was in such an unconscious state not long ago, then traveled from Pallet to Pewter it makes sense that could have been pushing his body too far. I would recommend that he gets some rest, then get him to a doctor as soon as you can. There could be something wrong that a Pokemon specialist like me or the Professor could have missed. The nearest clinic would be Cerulean, but that's through Mount Moon ever since they closed off the main road."

"We'll manage," Aoi said, "Thank you for helping though, nurse!"

"Don't worry, he's not the first human to be brought to this Center, let me know if you need anything else. I'll check up on your guys' Pokemon for now," There was the sound of someone walking away, then of a door opening and closing. Then silence.

"Hey Red," Aoi whispered, and Red flinched, "Oh!" The girl cried, "Are you awake?"

Red hesitated, then opened his eyes. Aoi was standing over him, blinking her bright blue eyes. He recoiled, quickly sitting up. He glanced around, taking in the small room.

"This is a small place in the Pokemon Center for human check ups. Many of the smaller towns lack a certified doctor, so places and people like the Pokemon Center nurses take care of the simpler checks ups and such. Professor Oak does that back in Pallet Town since there is no Center there," Aoi frowned, "Of course you have to go to larger cities if something is serious, but I wasn't sure what to do with you. Brock and Carl helped me get you here. Do you remember what happened?"

Red closed his eyes, shrugging, trying to think over her wave of words.

"Well you defeated Brock in battle with a fire type!" Aoi whispered excitedly, "That was so cool!" She shook her head, "Anyways, you just won, and Brock was going to give you your badge, but then suddenly you fainted! The same thing happened to Charmander too, out cold! Of course he had been battling, but we took you both to the Pokemon Center..."

She went on and on, talking about the nurse and how Aiden had woken up on the way to the Center. Red opened his eyes, trying to take a deep breath. He had never done something like that before. He had overwhelmed his powers before, but what he had done with Aiden... that was new. It was strange to be able to connect that deep in the heat of a battle. The most he had ever done was order simple comands in controlled environments, let alone during a battle. Father would never let him do that to a Pokemon capable of battle...

Red flinched as his thoughts turned to his father. He couldn't help but shake as his mind turned to the last time he had driven his powers to make him faint...

"Red? Are you alright?" Aoi asked, noticing Red's trembling and far off look. The boy cringed, looking at Aoi. His scarlet eyes were wide and nervous, "Hey, the nurse said you'll be fine, your Pokemon too. We'll get you to a real doctor as soon as you feel like walking again. You can also get your next badge in Cerulean City, and your Pikachu will have an advantage there!" Aoi leaned over, putting a tray in front of Red, "You better eat."

Red pushed the tray away, a hard look entering his eyes. He was no longer confined, and he wasn't going to let anyone ever force him to do anything ever again. And he most certainly wasn't going to let any memories hold him back.

* * *

**Note about the last paragraph- Red may say (think) stuff like this, but under pressure he will break, much easier than he likes to think. So if you see parts like this where he seems determined, then he submits to the simplest things soon after, don't be surprised.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Another little longer flashback in the beginning chapter, but this one isn't nearly as long as the last one in chapter six, and most of the chapter will be in the current time.**

* * *

_Red didn't like grunts. They were rude and enjoyed pushing around the ones weaker than them. They were cowards, weaklings themselves. And being weak was bad._

_But Red knew he was weak._

_Of course the the grunts never did anything to him- at least they didn't once they knew who he was. Of course Red didn't think Father would do anything to stop them even if the grunts did try something, but he enjoyed the fact that they didn't target him. For once his relation to his father was protecting him._

_But it was lonely, since when he wasn't with Father or in his room, he was usually in one of the break rooms, where grunts swarmed like the Rattatas they trained. They never talked to him of course, so Red was just a shadow no matter where he was. But he could listen, and he knew how to pick up information._

_But the grunts weren't talking about anything important today._

"_Checkmate," One of the grunts grinned, moving his shiny Bisharp piece, corning his opponent's Nidoking. He had teal-green eyes and hair of the same color. The grunt he had just defeated in the chess game sneered._

"_Think you're so great newbie?" He growled, "It's just a board game."_

_Young Red found himself drifting from his corner, slipping into the small group to watch what was taking place._

_The teal haired grunt grinned, eyes gleaming with a harsh pleasure, "Chess is a game of skill and smarts. Takes strategy to win, but I suppose all of you are all just brainless since I've beaten all of you so far."_

_The losing grunt snarled at the insult, then moved forward to punch the teal-haired grunt, but he was much quicker. His hand flew up, seizing the wrist of the fist of the grunt trying to punch him, twisting it sharply to the table. A loud _snap _echoed through room, and he let out a cry of pain. The teal haired grunt grinned as he slammed the loser's head down onto the table, leaning in close._

"_I may be new here," He whispered, "But I'm telling you now, I'm ruthless if you cross me."_

_He released the grunt, and he stumbled away, holding his injured wrist. Blood flowed from where his head had hit the table. He quickly retreated back, trying to reach the door. Red did feel bad for him, but he was more relieved that it wasn't himself in the grunt's place._

_The grunt smirked, sitting back down at the table, quickly move the chess pieces back into their starting places. Each piece was modeled after different Pokemon, one set shiny, the other regular. Red found himself drawn to the little Pokemon models, several of them ones he had never seen before. Despite everyone now keeping clear of this fierce grunt, Red didn't notice himself stumbling closer to the table, looking at the pieces in fascination. They reminded him of the toys he and Silver once had, the little models of Lugia, Ho-oh, Mew, and Celebi._

"_Brave enough to approach me even after what just happened, eh?" The teal haired grunt asked as he noticed Red looking over his shoulder. Red leapt back as the grunt turned in his chair, watching him. The whole room was now staring at them, "Think you're tough, kid?"_

_Nobody said a word, but Red did notice a few smirks from the other grunts. They weren't going to say a thing about Red's origins, they would let the new grunt figure it out on his own._

_Red quickly shook his head at the grunt's question, stepping back, head low._

_But he didn't attack, simply smirked, "Honest, eh? I like that. What's your name kid?"_

_Red opened his mouth hesitantly, but no words came out. This man hadn't done anything to Red yet, but the young boy saw what this grunt was capable of. He was too scared to reply to him. Red closed his eyes, braced for what could happen next._

"_Hmm, not saying anything? Don't blame you kid, not exactly a friendly vibe I just put out," He glanced back at his chess set, then towards Red again, "Ever played chess, kid?"_

_Red shook his head._

_The grunt grinned, "Then sit down and I'll teach ya. You look smart enough, and I'd like a challenge. I'm sure you could provide that if you learned, unlike these goons," He pointed around to the other grunts, and Red hesitated, "Don't worry kid, I only bite if someone crosses me. You don't see like that type. What do you say, want to learn the art of chess?"_

_Red hesitated again, glancing around the room once more. He didn't like the attention, but he did want to learn _something. _It had been so long since he had. He gulped, then sat down across from the grunt at the chess table._

"_That's the spirit kid," He said, still grinning, "Let's make a small deal, if I beat you in our first real game, you have to tell me your name, whether you're scared of me or not. Fair?"_

_Red gulped, then nodded._

_The tealed hair grunt's grin widened, "I like you kid. The name's Proton, and don't ya forget that."_

* * *

"... Karp... karp... karp..."

Aoi and Red were at a small rest stop right outside of Mount Moon. Red stared at the red Pokemon sitting on the table between them. The Magikarp flopped about pointlessly, its eyes bulging. Red then shifted his gaze to Aoi, raising an eyebrow.

"Heh..." She said, rubbing the back of her head, "I know it's not the most impressive... But I need a water type, so why not?!"

Red just shook his head, glancing around for the man that Aoi had bought the Magikarp from, but the strange shadowy man was now gone. Probably with the money as well.

"... Karp... karp... karp..."

"Char?" Aiden was poking the Magikarp, which causes it to flop about some more. Charmander giggled, then poked the fish again.

"... Karp... karp... karp..."

Aoi scooped up the Magikarp, "Stop it!" She whined at Aiden, holding the water type out of his reach, "He has feelings too!" The Magikarp was now flopping around in her grip, and she had to fumble to keep ahold of it, and she huffed.

"Pika!" Tempest growled angrily, pacing in front of the rest stop's door, eager to get going. The main road and path to Cerulean had been closed off for construction. Neither of them currently had the resources to pay for a taxi for the side roads (yet Aoi had managed to buy a Magikarp), so they would have to take the trail that wound through Mount Moon.

Aoi held up her Magikarp, "Hmm... You need a name..." She muttered, "How about... Mizu?" She asked, and in reply the Magikarp hopped out of her hands, slamming into her face, slowly sliding off and landing onto her foot, "Oww..."

She returned Mizu to his Pokeball, muttering under her breath. A small smile flickered onto Red's face in amusement, but it didn't last. He knew better than to let smiles last. He stood up, ready to leave.

* * *

The entrance to Mount Moon gaped within the craggy cliff side of the mountain, dark and gloomy. Aoi shrank behind Red, "... Maybe we should try to get a taxi after all?" She muttered weakly.

Red glanced at her, confused. She was acting scared, yet there wasn't any sort of danger that Red could see. He looked at Aiden, who hopped off his shoulder and scurried up to the edge of the cave, holding his tail out in front of him. His bright red flame illuminated the entrance to the cave, and only rocks were visible. Red felt himself relaxing, it reminded him of the small caves he had used to escape from the base, this path was good.

Red walked right into Mount Moon. After a few moments Aoi scrambled in after him, "W-wait up Red!" She cried, "I don't want to be alone!"

Red didn't slow down, but he wasn't moving that fast in the first place. Aoi quickly caught up to him, grabbing onto his upper arm. Red cringed at that, but her grip was nothing compared to his father's. Aiden was walking ahead of them, lighting the way through the dark cave. Stalactites and stalagmites casted long and eerie shadows from the fire that flickered on the Charmander's tail. Tempest was darting around the edges of their group, as if looking for something. Probably for something to battle, knowing her.

Kiku, Aoi's Bulbasaur, was walking next to Aiden. The two Pokemon chittered to each other in a language that Red nor Aoi could understand. Red closed his eyes, focusing on what the Pokemon were feeling. Tempest was anxious, with a bit of frustration. Red could sense that she was upset by their slow pace, and from her inability to battle in the gym.

Aiden, on the other hand, was the happiest Red had seen since he had met the small Charmander. As if the adrenaline from the battle with Brock was still pumping through him. There was also a strange, unfamiliar energy radiating from him. The Charmander skipped ahead, with his tail being the only light in the dark cave. The undersized Bulbasaur seemed to share his excitement, but a bit more toned down. The two Pokemon seemed to be close, which made since, they were from the same lab after all.

Red frowned at bit, remembering how Forest's Squirtle had acted similarly with Aiden back in Viridian City, until Forest had recalled her during a conversation with his Charmander. Perhaps Aiden's disliking of Forest had come from that event, rather than Red's own distaste of the Professor's grandson. But then again, was Forest really that bad? Sure, he had a huge ego, but that hadn't stopped him from helping him in Viridian Forest when Aiden had been poisoned. Perhaps his arrogance was a mask, a way to hide his true feelings from everyone else. Red understood what that was like, his last few months at the base had been him masking his true intentions from his father.

Red cringed as the thought of "home" entered his mind. Project M2's plans for escape had all hinged on Red, someone who _could_ have access to the security at the labs. The clone had promised Red his own freedom as well, with its own escape serving as a distraction for his father as he feld the labs. But in order for Red to be able to do anything he needed trust, trust from his father.

The person who had never trusted him before.

"Saur..." Kiku whimpered suddenly, pausing mid conversation with Aiden. The Charmander paused as well, his bright tail flickering down to a soft glow. Red watched as the two Pokemon began to hang their heads low in fear and shame.

Red quickly gathered up his emotions, cutting off his connection to the Pokemon. Immediately their demeanors changed, brightening back up to a more cheerful attitude, but with confusion lining the Bulbasaur's gaze. Aiden, on the other hand, looked back at Red with a knowing look, also with worry with the emotions his trainer was feeling.

Red knew he needed to work on how he projected his feelings. He wasn't use to being around Pokemon all the time, or any that could pick up on his emotional waves. The only time he interacted with Pokemon that could be affected was in controlled environments where he was expected to influence the emotions of the Pokemon. He had never needed to withhold his grasp before, because before there was no one around constantly to sense it. Now that he was traveling along side these creatures he needed to be careful.

"Zu..." A high pitched echo came from further in the cave. Tempest paused, perking her ears up, cheeks sparking.

"Sounds like a Zubat," Aoi commented, still gripping Red's arm, "But they usually are only active at night, so a little one won't be so much of a problem..." She trailed off as more sounds came traveling through the tunnel.

"Zu... Zu... Zu... Zu! Zu! _Zu! Zu! Zu!_" More series of chirps echoed again, a bit louder than before, slowly starting to overlap each other. Red's Pikachu let out a growl, cheeks sparking harder, and Red glanced at Aoi, whose eyes widened in alarm.

"Against the wall!" Aoi cried, pulling Red back at the screeching rose to a roar. The two humans quickly plastered themselves against the rough stone wall as dozens of shadowy shapes came charging down the rocky corridor. The mass of Zubats came spiraling past them, the wave of them blocking out Aiden's light, plunging their view into darkness.

The flying types took up every inch of the cave as they came by. Red could feel their wings brushing up against his neck and cheeks, zooming past his ankles. Their screeches were shrieked right into his ears. One of Zubats even landed right on his face, before quickly following the rest of its colony into the darkness.

"CHU!" Tempest let out a Thundershock, temporally lighting up the silhouettes of the fleeing Zubats. They let out a chorus of high pitched cries as they were hit, a few falling to the ground, the rest simply increasing pace.

"Char!"

"Bulba!"

Aiden and Kiku joined their fellow Pokemon in attacking the Zubats, the Embers adding to the light of Tempest's Thundershocks. More Zubats fell or fled to the combined attacks. Tempest released another electric shock, traveling dangerously close to Aoi and Red. The boy stiffened in fear, heart racing.

And as another Thundershock came from the Pikachu, and this time Red was hit.

His whole body locked up as the electric current hit him. Though it wasn't that powerful, it was still enough. Fear bolted through Red, and the memories came washing over him, consuming him. He could feel the powerful jaws locking around his neck. He was helpless, immobile from the electric attacks, helpless as long claws dug into his back-

"_Red!"_

Red opened his eyes, the Zubat horde had past, leaving only a few paralyzed and burnt ones on the ground from the Pokemon's attack. Aiden and Kiku were also on the ground, but unlike some of the fallen Zubat, they weren't injured.

But still, they were trembling, writhing on the ground. Both of the small Pokemon were shaking with fear to the point where they couldn't move. Red held his breath, knowing that they were under his influence, but he still didn't have the strength to remove it. The memory was still too fresh in his mind. Fear was racing through him like blood, fueling him.

"Pika!" Tempest cried at Red, taking a step towards him. She sparked her cheeks, and Red jumped, instinctively lashing his emotions out at her, trying to freeze her with his own fear, "Chu-pika!" She snarled, and Red's eyes widened as he realized it wasn't working. She was unaffected. Red scrambled back farther as Aoi raced over to Kiku, scooping up the small Bulbasaur who was still under Red's influence.

"Red, what's going on?" Aoi whimpered as she watched the Pokemon. Tempest advanced, the Pikachu knew Red was responsible for how the other Pokemon were reacting, and she was determined to stop it. He had no right to be controlling the others like this!

Suddenly Aiden sprang forward, knocking Tempest away from Red. The Charmander's pupils were narrow and his gaze unfocused. He snarled with a foreign rage, standing protectively in front of Red. Tempest stood her ground, but not attacking, knowing that Aiden wasn't acting of his own free will. Instead she looked calmly up at Red, as if daring him to urge Aiden into an attack. Red stared back, mind racing. He couldn't control Tempest- and he didn't know why. She wasn't holding those stones, but yet she was immune to his influence.

But she didn't want to attack him, or else she would have done it by now. Red took a deep breath, trying to focus. Then he slowly loosened his grip on Aiden and Kiku. Instantly the Bulbasaur began to relax, no longer thrashing in Aoi's arm's. Aiden's gaze slowly refocused and his posture became less threatening. He sat up, blinking his eyes as he regained control of himself.

"...Char?" He whimpered, scurrying over to Red. The boy scooped up the Charmander, closing his eyes.

"Red, are you okay?" Aoi asked, and Red opened one eye, "... Something is wrong in this cave. The Zubats don't come out except for at night, something must have driven them out."

Red didn't know anything about the sleeping habits of Zubat, so he simply shrugged, eying Tempest uncertainly. She was tapping her foot impatiently, wanting to move on. Red took a deep breath, slowly rising to his feet. Whether or not something had disturbed the Zubat, he was ready to move on. Their small group proceeded on in silence, looking around. It seemed they were not the only ones affected by the Zubats.

Several small Paras huddled in the corner, their small bodies marked by Zubat fangs. They watched Aiden's fire with wide eyes, scuttling back farther into the cave corner, chittering nervously. Several Geodudes glared at them as they passed, like the sight of humans offended them. The small tunnel they were traveling through seemed quite crowded with Pokemon as they went in further, as if they had been stuffed in there. A Sandshrew was hissing at a Clefairy over a small hole in the cave wall. Eventually the Clefairy huffed, then scurried off.

"Why are there so many Pokemon on the main path?" Aoi whispered quietly, stepping over napping Geodude, "The cave systems go through the entire mountain, with a bunch of wider caverns! Pokemon usually stay away from where the humans commonly travel. At least that's what Professor Oak says..." She trailed off, "But there's so many Pokemon stuffed in this little part..." She looked up at a lone Zubat that were perched on the cave ceiling, covering it's head with its wings, "They all seem frustrated too..."

Red sighed as she talked on and on. Though she was keeping her voice down, Red still didn't want to risk anything. She could see that the Pokemon _looked_ frustrated, but she didn't _feel _it. There were so many Pokemon around them, and they were angry. Red felt it. They were upset at the intruders that had driven them out, and Red knew that the native Pokemon hadn't decided they were intruding as well. There was just a thick tension in the air, and he didn't want them to push that tension to the breaking point.

"Pika..." Tempest paused, sniffing the air.

"It seems to open up some up ahead," Aoi muttered, "And there's some light, come on!"

Aoi's increased pace, but soon came to a halt as a sound noise echoed through the tunnel.

_Slap!_

They all froze as they entered the lit up part of the cave, stiffening as a cry of pain was called out.

"Stupid little idiots, quit whining and keep working!" A sharp voice snapped.

"Leave the Helix..." Somebody whimpered, "Take all the others, but leave us our Helix!"

Aoi looked at over at Red with wide eyes, carefully moving forward. One of the tunnel walls thinned out, disappearing into an angled drop off at lead to a large cavern. They peered out around the wall, staring down into the cavern. The whole place was lit up by large lamps and lights set up around the borders. A large hole sat in the middle, a pit mine. A half dozen men in white lab coats were running around in the open pit mine, slowly chipping away at the rocks. Surrounding the edges of the pit mine were a bunch of people dressed in black, a red "R" on their shirts, and Red felt himself stiffen.

"Team Rocket," Aoi whispered with wide eyes, saying what Red was thinking. They quickly pulled back into the tunnel, "What are they doing here?!" She mouthed at Red. Red hesitated, inching forward once more to get a peek at their group.

Five Rockets, four of them were only low ranking grunts. The fifth one, the leader, was standing over one of the scientists. Red studied them, they weren't Rocket scientists, probably some unlucky people that the Rockets stumbled across in the cave, now being forced to mine. But Red felt himself relaxing, the Rocket's group leader wasn't even an admin, just an overseer, basicly higher ranking grunt. This was not a large group, they could sneak by with no problem.

"Our terms were quite simple," The overseer snarled at the cowering scientist, "You dig us up the fossils, we take them and we won't cause you any trouble. But here you are begging like a little Growlithe! Perhaps you need another reminder..."

"Leave us with the Helix!" The scientist cried, "Don't take our Lord Helix!"

Red pulled his head back as the overseer rewarded the scientist with several sharp kicks. He glanced at Aoi, who was leaning up against the tunnel wall, eyes covered as the sounds echoed up towards them. Red blinked in confusion as he noticed tears in her eyes. What was wrong? She wasn't the one getting hurt, so why was she crying?

"We got to do something," Her voice was a quiet whisper, so quiet that Red barely caught it. Red shook his head, "What do you mean no?" She was practically mouthing the words, she was so quiet, but she still sounded angry, "Team Rocket is dangerous, they're hurting that guy! We have to do something!"

Red shook his head again, was she stupid? There were five Rockets and two of them, and the Rockets were all adults! They only had four Pokemon between them (five if you counted the Magikarp.) And like she had pointed out, Team Rocket was dangerous and powerful. Besides, the scientist getting hurt was his own fault. If he had done as he was asked it would have never happened to him.

A scowl crossed Aoi's face, "So you just want to sit here and do nothing?"

Interfering was the worst thing you could do, Red knew that. This girl had no sense of self perseverance! Red glanced up at the tunnel ahead, it wound around the cavern, way up high as a ledge, compared to where the Rockets and the scientists that were down in the lower cavern. It was mostly draped in shadows, if they were quick and quiet they could get to the other tunnel at the other end-

"Then do what you want," Aoi hissed, glancing at Kiku, "But I'm going to do something," She grabbed a Pokeball, dashing forward. Red reached out to grab her, but she was quicker, and her Bulbasaur ran after her. She darted up to the ledge-like path, going down a trail that lead towards the mine at the bottom of the cavern, "Hey!" Aoi shouted angrily at the overseer, "Leave him alone!"

Red cringed, curling up. This girl had a death wish!

The overseer jerked his head up, "Simon, take care of the intruder," He said calmly, turning back to the defenseless scientist.

"Kiku, Tackle, now!" Aoi ordered, and the runt of a Bulbasaur sprang forward. There was the sound of a Pokeball opening, and one of the grunts sent out a monster of a Raticate. The tan rodent sprang forward, landing a critical Hyper Fang on Kiku. The small Bulbasaur let out a loud cry, releasing a plume of Poison Powder. The Raticate hissed, dropping Kiku as it inhaled the poisonous spores. It scrambled back, coughing as the tiny Bulbasaur Tackled it.

But the Raticate's sheer size compared to Kiku allowed it to hold its ground.

"Focus Energy into Bite," The grunt snapped, and the Raticate began to glow lightly, his sharp eyes scanning Kiku, then sprang forward, fangs draped in a dark energy as it crunched into the Bulbasaur's neck, flinging it aside. Kiku cried as she was slammed against the wall, "Now Hyper Fang."

"Kiku, get up and used-" Aoi began, but the Raticate had already dove forward, finishing off the small grass type. Aoi gulped, quickly returning her Bulbasaur.

"Char!" Aiden headbutted Red, watching him with big eyes, wanting to help Aoi. Red sighed, the girl had made her choice. He had tried to warn her, and she had ignored him. He wasn't going to interfere because of her own choice. He slowly stood up, walking up onto the ledge, trying to stick to the shadows. Just as long as he could move while the Rockets were distracted he could probably make it to the tunnel on the other end...

"Well, this is new, a little girl trying to play the hero," The grunt snarked, approaching Aoi, his poisoned, but still standing, Raticate at his side, "I'm afraid we can't let you leave here until we're done, but if you sit here quietly we'll let you go eventually-"

"Shou! Fury Attack!" Aoi cried, releasing her Spearow right at the man. He let out a muffled cry as the flying type dove at his face, striking him multiple times with its beak and claws. His Raticate sprang up, seizing the bird with a Bite attack, shaking it in its grip.

One of the other grunts laughed, "Can't handle a little girl Simon?" They taunted as Simon threw Aoi a death glare. The Raticate deposited the fainted Spearow at its feet, forcing Aoi to recall it. The determined look in Aoi's gaze was gone, now replaced by fear as she realized how powerless she was against the group.

"Anything else, girl?" The grunt snarled at her, taking a step towards her. Aoi panicked, quickly seizing her last Pokeball, releasing her brand new Magikarp. Simon let out a laugh, "That's all you got-"

"Mizu, Splash!" Aoi ordered, and the Magikarp leapt up, hitting the grunt called Simon right in the face. The other three grunts burst out laughing as their fellow grunt pilled the water type off of his face, throwing it across the room. He now had a look of pure anger due to his humiliation, and he glared at Aoi, "Heh..." She took a step back.

"Raticate, Tackle!" He snarled, and the rat sprang forward, knocking defenseless Aoi to the ground. He snorted, strolling towards her. He grabbed her wrist, yanking Aoi to her feet, and he dragged her close to his face, "Thought you'd make a fool of me girl?" He hissed, "I told you we'd let you go if you stayed here quietly, but if you insisted on causing ruckus..." He ignored his hacking Raticate, the effects of the poison catching up to it.

One of the grunts rolled his eyes, "She's just a kid Simon, calm down. We're almost done here anyways," They glanced over at the now working scientists, who were now offering no complaint except for an occasional moan for their helix fossil, "The Executives will be pleased with the work we're getting done here."

Aoi struggled against his grip, "No one gets away with mocking me..." He whispered fiercely, "And I'm also pretty bored... Might as well have a little fun since there's nothing else to do down here..."

Red closed his eyes, pained, and Aiden jumped onto his shoulder. The Charmander seized Red's head, forcing his trainer to look at him, "Char!" He whispered, pointing back towards Aoi, "_Mander! Char char!"_

Red paused, hiding in the shadows, glancing back at Aoi. She was naive, he knew that. Yet he still found himself stunned that she hadn't recognized the simple dangers of Team Rocket. Aiden looked at Red, staring at him intently, trying to tell his trainer to do something. Tempest glared up at him, with the same look in her eyes. He hesitated, he did want to help Aoi, but he knew he couldn't do it. He didn't have the power to face five Rocket grunts, they outnumbered him. It would be pointless to try to do something he was incapable of accomplishing.

But how did he explain that to his Pokemon? They didn't seem to recognize their unavoidable lost if they engaged the Rockets in a battle. They had taken out all of Aoi's Pokemon in moments, and that was with only one of them fighting! Even if he caught a wild Pokemon here they would still be outnumbered-

_The wild Pokemon._

Red remembered their hatred and anger towards the intruders- Team Rocket. There had been dozens of Pokemon back in the main tunnel, and there was probably even more! They were angry at Team Rocket, and Red knew he could channel that anger. If he could convince them to help him drive out the intruders...

Red glanced at his Pokemon, giving the duo a sharp nod. They had a chance now, and they were going to help Aoi, the scientists, and the wild Pokemon.

Aiden smiled, glancing down at Tempest. The Pikachu's whole body trembled with excitement- Finally a worthy battle!

* * *

**Here we are, with the first encounter of uniformed Team Rocket, and helix fossil-obsessed scientists (reference to T****witch Plays Pokemon). And the flashback was a bit of Red's history with Proton (he was at the Viridian Gym in chapter four.)**

**Current Team Rosters are-**

**Red: Aiden (Charmander), Tempest (Pikachu). [Male, female.]  
Aoi: Kiku (Bulbasaur), Shou (Spearow), Mizu (Magikarp). [Female, male, male.]  
Forest: Shelly (Squirtle), Pidgey (Peter), Rattata (Ron). [Female, male, male.]**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello! Sorry this chapter took so long! :P I had most of it written, but I got writers block for the rest of the chapter, but never mind that because I finished it! So enjoy!**

* * *

_A small Charmander blinked up as the Blastoise carefully picked up the young Squirtle, cradling her child. The Charmander watched eagerly, waiting for his mother to pick him up as well. He hadn't accidentally whacked his sister with his tail today, or gotten in the way, or scratched anyone, so surely Mother would hold him today!_

_The Blastoise cooly glared at the Charmander as he scurried up to her, making small chirping noises excitedly. His sister peered down from the Blastoise's arms, making as small excited noises as well at the sight of her brother. She loved cuddling with the fire type, he was warm compared to Mother and Papa._

_The Blastoise let out a low snarl, and the Charmander froze in his tracks. He knew what that snarl meant- Mother wasn't going to hold him today._

_Mother _never _held him._

_The Charmander let out small whimpers as he watched his mother walk away with his sister. He lowered his head to the ground, closing his sky blue eyes. Maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow Mother would love him._

_A lower and comforting rumble came from behind him, and the little Charmander perked up. Papa! A shadow came over him as the Charmander sprang to his feet, turning excitedly as the Dragonite stood above him. A smile was on Barney's face as he looked down at his son. He held out his arms, allowing the little Charmander to climb into the embrace. The Dragonite brought the Charmander in close, rumbling gently to calm the fire type._

_Barney looked up as his mate glared at him. He gave a small apologetic smile to the Blastoise._

_The Charmander didn't notice though. Even if mother didn't love him today, that would be fine for now. Father and Sister were still there, and surely Mother would love him tomorrow!_

* * *

Aiden tried to keep his tail flame hidden as much as he could as he lurked around the edges of the pit mine. He wondered what the men were trying to mine. He took a deep breath, but couldn't smell any of the sharp smells of metals that humans loved to horde. There was a pile of strangely shaped rocks, but Aiden couldn't quite make out what they exactly were.

He saw a few sparks of electricity from the other end of the room, where the human's light didn't quite reach, and he knew that was his cue. Aiden took in a deep breath, heating up the back of his throat.

The guy that had Aoi had dragged her away from the pit, and Aiden didn't like it. He had pinned Aoi against the cave wall, rage in his gaze. Aoi was helpless against the other human, and Aiden was glad that he was ready to help. Only if Aoi knew it so she wouldn't have to be so scared. The Charmander crouched down, preparing his Ember. The lizard sprang forward, releasing the fire attack right at the man's back. Though his shirt protected him from the direct damage, Aiden was satisfied at the yelp the man gave, quickly releasing Aoi as he stumbled back, his clothes quickly catching on fire.

There was a silvery shape darting forward, and Tempest sprang at him with a Quick Attack, knocking the disoriented man to the ground. She released a Thunder Shock before his poisoned Raticate or the other Rockets could react, then darted back into the shadows with another Quick Attack. Aiden smirked as the Rockets were stunned, then used the distraction to move away so they couldn't pinpoint his location from his attack.

The man had fallen to his back, suffocating the flames on his back, unfortunately. Though his hair was sticking up from Tempest's electric attacks. He deserved it. Aoi quietly slunk away as the man's companions gathered around him in concern.

"Whoa, Simon, dude, you okay?" One of them asked, holding out a hand to help him up. The man, Simon, slapped it away, growling. He stumbled to his feet. There was a good sized hole in the back of his shirt, making Aiden swell with pride. The Charmander had to bite back a laugh, he had done what he was asked to do! Red surely would be proud of him!

Because pride was a feeling he hadn't felt from Red yet.

"Pikachu and fire types aren't native to Mount Moon!" Simon snarled as he processed what had happened, wheeling around towards his leader, "There must be another trainer out there, there _is_ a trainer out there, they'll mess up the fossil dig!"

Fossils. That must be what the Rocket-humans were after. Aiden knew about both- Mr. Oak had several fossils in his lab. Though they were just fancy rocks, nothing more. Aiden knew a lot about Team Rocket too. His papa talked about them a lot, how Mr. Oak's son William had left for them, and how Team Rocket was dangerous. Aiden shuddered excitedly, surely his papa would be proud of him for working against Team Rocket! And Red too!

The leader of the small group sighed, then wheeled back towards the scientists, "What are you stopping for? Think someone's come to your rescue? Keep working!" He turned back towards Simon, "Calm down, rookie trainers pass through here all the time. My Rhydon can take care of that Pikachu and any fire types. Just keep the scientist digging," He pulled out a Pokeball, releasing a Rhydon. The towering rock type glared at its trainer, looking angry. Aiden prepared his Metal Claw attack, knowing it was their only chance against this rock type.

Aiden wish Red would come. He didn't know what his trainer was doing, but the Charmander had been given clear instructions though Red's strange powers. Get Aoi away from the Rockets, and stay out of sight.

Red had emphasized that with a powerful wave of cation, it still clung to Aiden even now. It was probably the only thing from keeping him running to engage the Rhydon. He knew he could take it though! He had faced and beaten a much larger Onix yesterday! Why didn't Red like them to battle? It was fun!

"Rhy..." The Rhydon let out a low growl, facing Aiden. The small Charmander froze as he realized he had stumbled out from behind the rocks that had been blocking out his fire light. He was now in plain view. Charmander gave a small uncertain smile as Team Rocket glared at him as he was sighted.

"Raticate, Bite that annoying little punk!" Simon snarled, obviously still upset about his shirt being burned. His poisoned Raticate stumbled forward, teeth gleaming with a dark energy.

Aiden quickly jumped out of the way as the Raticate sprang at him, snapping at empty air. The Charmander swiped with his readied Metal Claw, hitting the Raticate on the head with a sharp _ping!_ A burst of energy rushed through Aiden, and he lashed out with another Metal Claw. The Raticate whimpered, shrinking back. Aiden could see that it wasn't going to last much longer, and he silently thanked Kiku for poisoning it earlier.

"Char!" He fired an Ember, finishing off the Raticate that had soloed Aoi's team. Aiden grinned, even if it was already weaken, the victory felt great. Simon cursed under his breath, returning his Raticate.

Aiden noticed a few more sparks coming from behind them, Tempest. He needed to keep the Rocket's attention. The Charmander released another Ember, though it didn't reach them. It did keep their attention though, all the Rocket's attention was focused only on him. He lowered himself onto all fours, hissing.

The overseer of the group sighed, "Honestly, that thing's strongest move is Ember. You're worrying over a stupid little Charmander. Rhydon, Crush Claw."

Aiden froze at the overseer's words, as they drew back memories Aiden had tried to keep from his mind. _They took away my real child and replaced him with you, a stupid little Charmander they expect me to raise! You're a replacement that no one ever wanted!_

The Rhydon came charging, his claws gleaming with a white light. Aiden's eyes widened as the rock type came down at him, its claws striking him in the stomach, launching him away. The Charmander let out a yelp as he was sent flying into the wall. His back and shoulders ached as he peeled himself from the cave walls. The Rhydon sat waiting, watching Charmander with a steady look, as if trying to say it was nothing personal. Aiden growled weakly, preparing a Metal Claw on each hand.

"Chu!" Tempest slammed into the Rhydon with a Quick Attack, but it did nothing more than temporally turn the rock type's attention away from Aiden. He sprang forward, using the opportunity to hit with Metal Claw, sinking it into Rhydon's back.

Aiden was surprised as the Rhydon flicked him off with no trouble- though smaller, this thing was tougher than the Onix. He tried not to roll his eyes Tempest released a Thunder Shock, only to discover that Rhydon was a ground type. She growled in frustration, eyes flickering to Aiden.

Where was Red?

He knew that they were both thinking the same thing. This Rhydon had a type advantage over both of them, and Team Rocket probably had more Pokemon up their sleeves. Aiden's eyes turned to Aoi, who was slinking away along the wall. She was too looking around, probably trying to spot Red. It wouldn't be much longer until the Rockets realized that she was moving away.

Aiden leapt as the Rhydon's arm came in his direction, and he sprang onto the rock type's face, hitting him with a close ranged Ember. Perhaps he could let himself get worn down to active Blaze to win? But that had barely worked with the Onix and he had Red's help and energy then too...

A few of the scientists paused, watching the battle hopefully. Most of them keep working, not wanting to anger Team Rocket.

"Chu!" Tempest cried, firing a Thunder Shock straight up. What was she doing?! Aiden paused as he heard the sound of rock shaking, then threw himself off of the Rhydon as stalactites knocked loose from Tempest's attack came falling down on top of the Pokemon. The Rhydon let out a frustrated roar, brushing the rubble off of him as a small dust cloud was sent up. Aiden nodded as Tempest, then darted around, attacking once more with a Metal Claw.

They could win this fight together, using brains, not sheer force. Red would be here soon, and Aiden hoped that he had a plan.

* * *

Red flinched as he heard the Rocket grunts yelling, then he took a deep breath, telling himself to focus. Aiden and Tempest were agile, they just needed to keep Team Rocket distracted from Aoi so she could get away, and buy him some time to get the wild Pokemon on his side. His Pokemon were just fine- the grunts wouldn't be yelling like that if they were winning.

Red gulped, looking at the mass of wild Pokemon in front of him. He had made his way back into the main tunnel, which was still crawling with the cave Pokemon. He lingered near the entrance, not wanting them to get riled up until he was ready, but he wasn't quite sure how to approach them.

Red tried hard not to shake as he tired to think of some way to "talk" to them. When he had influenced and controlled Pokemon with Father he had always had instructions; have a Pokemon execute a certain attacks, perform a series of movements, or to bend it to feel a certain way. But now he was on his own and he wasn't quite sure what to do. And this time it wasn't an experiment, but a situation where he needed them. Hesitating wouldn't help him now, Aiden and Tempest couldn't hold off all the Rockets.

Red knew he could send and receive thoughts, but that took so much effort. Communicating with Pokemon was something he never practiced, Father didn't care about holding conversations with them, only controlling Pokemon. Of course Red always talked with Project M2, but the so called "Mewtwo" was a natural telepath, so when combined with Red's powers of "thought sharing" it took no energy from him. In fact, if there was a psychic type strong enough, Red could channel its powers to expand his abilities to share thoughts with other Pokemon while saving his own energy.

But there were no psychic types in the cave.

The easiest thing to do would be to send out a wave of anger and hope the Pokemon were spurred into attacking the Rockets, but that was too risky. If he was to influence all the Pokemon it would have to be a simple wave- just pure anger. It would force the emotion on them without burning him out. But it lacked a focus. When he had turned Aiden, Kiku, and Proton's Golbat against Proton, Red had channeled the anger towards Proton, so the Pokemon were angry with Proton.

But there were too many Pokemon in this cave to do that, at least Red's ability wasn't strong enough to do that yet. He couldn't give their anger a focus if he was to spur them all. They would just get angry, and that anger could lash out at anyone; him, Aoi, the scientists, the other Pokemon. Besides, anger was a dangerous emotion to work with. It is easy to channel into Pokemon, but hard to stop. It was also easily turned, he could try to get a Pokemon angry enough to attack something, but if their will was strong enough they could turn that anger against something else, like himself.

Red focused on a Geodude that was hollowing out a small notch in the cave wall for him. Out of all the ground types, Geodudes were his favorite. They were calm and wise. They were sturdy and had never hesitated to help him before. And Father didn't have one. Maybe he didn't have to try to talk to all the Pokemon at once, but if he could just approach one for now and go from there...

Red took a deep breath, and headed towards the Geodude. He spun around as Red approached, standing protectively in front of the small home he was making. Red sent out a small pulse of calm- not enough to force it into being calm- but just to tell it that he meant no harm. When Red was a few feet away he knelt down, keeping his head bent and hands out. He waited for the Geodude to do something, not wanting to rush onto its territory.

If this over crowded tunnel could be called a territory.

After a minute of Red not moving the Geodude withdrew from the defensive pose, watching the human curiously. Red had Pokeballs on him, but he was making no effort to attack or catch him. This human was waiting for him to make the first move, and so far the human had been peaceful. He could also... sense the boy. It was strange how natural it felt to the Geodude, feeling Red's emotional wave coming towards him. He could feel that the boy was nervous, but was trying to be calm. In all his years watching humans come through his cave this was his first time he felt some kind connection for to one. Though he had never felt or heard of a power like Red's before, he understood it right off. It was natural.

"Geo?" He asked the boy. Red raised his head up a bit, looking towards the Geodude, who was now in a relaxed stance. Red gulped, then held out his hand towards the Geodude. He eyed it uncertainly as Red slowly moved closer. He knew he could force the rock type to not attack, but he could sense the small trust the Geodude had in him, and Red didn't want to break that.

The Geodude went still as Red placed a finger on its head. Red gulped once more, trying to clear his mind as he forged a mental connection.

_I need your help._

Red sent the simple message, then quietly waiting for the Geodude to respond. He closed his eyes, then opened then after a mmoent. Geodude looked up at Red, waiting for him to continue. Red gathered more energy, not wanting to waste all of his energy now.

_The intruders have a girl._ Red communed. _They took your home and I cannot get past. If all attack then we all get through._

Blackness danced around the edges of Red's vision as he exerted himself.

The Geodude considered Red's words, then looked back at him, sending a mixtures of emotions back. Though not words, Red understood what he was trying to communicate. The cave Pokemon were not natural battlers, they didn't have the bravery or the strength to fight against a group of trainers. They were taking shelter until the intruders were gone.

_I can give strength, energy._ Red offered desperately, _Neither of us can win on our own, together we can._

The Geodude thought Red's words over, then sent back another mixture of emotions. Perhaps emotions wasn't quite the word to discribe it, but a combination of thoughts and emotions, not quite one, but an equal balance of both. The Geodude wanted the Rockets gone, and was upset about what they had done to the cave and the Pokemon living there. But he doubted the wild Pokemon would be able to fight back or work together, they were bickering among each other now.

Red took a deep breath, struggling as a headache surfaced, he couldn't keep up this thought sharing much longer.

_Could you ask them?_ Red asked, _At least see what they all say?_

The Geodude thought over Red's request, he'd rather not interact with the other Pokemon until they were calm. But the boy was so sincere and respectful. The Geodude nodded once, and Red withdrew his hand.

The Geodude stood up on his arms, walking off towards some of the more approachable Pokemon in Mount Moon.

Red leaned against the cave wall, blackness over taking his vision. Though the cave was already dark without Aiden's fire, Red still had to keep himself from panicking as his vision temporarily left him. His stomach churned helplessly, and he would have thrown up if he had anything in his stomach. Why hadn't he practiced his thought sharing more? He needed to stay awake to help Aoi, but a simple conversation was pushing his boundaries. Red fought to stay conscious, breathing heavily. If he passed out now there would be no one to help him.

* * *

"Chu!"

Tempest tried to ignore Aiden as he growled in frustration as she released another Thunder Shock at the Rhydon. She knew it did no damage, but she couldn't help herself. Seeing such a powerful opponent urged her to use her strongest moves, a survival instinct she had carried over from the wild. It didn't help that she felt weak with her Quick Attacks doing barely anything.

The small Charmander leapt up, striking the large rock type under his chin with a Metal Claw. Despite the attack having an advantage over it, the attack didn't do much. It was getting frustrating, Tempest knew they couldn't hold up against such a powerful opponent

"Use Rock Slide," The overseer said, growing tired of the battle. The Rhyhorn slammed his fists into the ground, and the cave roof shook. Tempest turned, charging right at Aiden with a Quick Attack. The small Charmander let out a cry as his teammate hit him. They tumbled into the darkness of the cave as large boulders came crashing down on where they had been standing. Aiden gulped, that attack would have taken him out.

"Rhy!" The Rhydon snarled in frustration, forming a Crush Claw, charging at Aiden. Tempest launched herself into one more Quick Attack- her weakest and only effective move at the moment. Her head ached as she slammed her body into the large rocky armor. This was like the battle with the Onix all over again!

Except this time there was no trainer with her, and no badge at stake. Instead it was the annoying girl and the whiny scientists, and they needed her help.

Except her cowardly trainer had sent them alone. The naive Charmander kept looking back, as if he expected Red to come or something. She had felt Red's emotions, Team Rocket scared him, more than any form of fear he had emulated so far. Red wasn't coming, he had left them.

Stupid trainer.

She had always planned on being captured, but she had always imagined a strong trainer that would make her powerful. Not same stupid mute boy that flinched every time sparks flew. Not some weakling that got his way by controlling them.

"Pi... ka..." Tempest panted, they couldn't keep this up. This Rhydon was going to overpower them any minute now.

"Char!" Aiden cried, releasing an Ember. The Rhydon simply raised his arm, blocking the attack with his natural rocky armor. Tempest let her cheeks spark as the Rhydon took a step towards them, ready to deliver a final blow.

Suddenly the rock type flinched, spinning around. Tempest caught a quick view of several Paras on his back, using Leech Life. The small bugs were clinging to the rock-like spikes on its back, so the Rhydon couldn't reach them. They dug their small fangs deeper, using Leech Life once more. Though both at a type disadvantage and just being a weak move itself, the Leech Life was able to provide enough of a distraction for Tempest and Aiden.

Aiden nodded at Tempest, and they quickly ran opposite directions around the Rhydon so the couldn't take them out with one move. The Rhydon let out a long, frustrated roar as he tried to swipe the Paras off of him. The bugs clung on tightly as he bucked and stomped, and the Rhydon's trainer let out an annoyed growl.

"Ignore them and get rid of the Charmander and Pikachu," He snapped at his Rhydon, who froze, outlined in a green light, "What the-" The overseer muttered as his Rhydon let out a cry of pain, suddenly falling forwards and collapsing on the ground. The Paras quickly scattered as another Pokemon stepped onto the fallen Rhydon.

"Secta!" The Parasect chattered, moving its pincers up the Rhydon's back, using Giga Drain once more. The small Paras quickly climbed onto the Parasect's mushroom that grew from its back, joining in with the chattering. The Rhydon didn't move, and the Parasect skittered towards the grunts, chittering angrily, along with the Paras on its back.

"So the wilds want another fight?" One of the grunts muttered, releasing a Golbat, "Chase them out, use Poison Fang!"

"Gol!" It snarled, diving towards the group of grass types, its teeth gleaming with a poisonous venom. The Parasect ran back, carrying the Paras with it, and the Golbat snapped at empty air. It turned sharply, chasing after them.

_Snap!_

Tempest's ears perked up at the familiar sound, and a rock came soaring from the darker part of the cave. The Rock Throw attack caught the Golbat right in the chest, knocking him off course from the Parasect. It groaned as he regained his balance, glaring in the direction the attack had come from.

"Char!" Aiden cried suddenly, excitement entering his voice. Tempest followed his gaze up towards the ledge by the tunnel. Though dim and draped in shadows, the Pikachu could make out the familiar outline of the their trainer. Tempest blinked in surprise- Red had come after all.

There was a Geodude sitting on Red's shoulder, on arm wrapped around Red for balance, another in the air preparing another Rock Throw. Red snapped again, and a stone materialized in the Geodude's hand, and he chucked it at the Golbat, sending it crashing into the ground. Red glanced at Tempest, and her ears twitched in excitement- Red was _telling_ her to battle! She sped forward with a Quick Attack, releasing a Thundershock at the Golbat, knocking it out.

Tempest was glad that she now was able to use her electric type moves effectively with the Rhydon down. She wheeled around to face the Rocket grunts, cheeks sparking. Aiden ran towards Red, standing in front of him protectively. Red glared at the Rocket grunts, and several Sandshrew crawled out from the tunnel, flanking him. The Parasect chittered, still ready to fight. Three more Geodude poured in after the Sandshrew, ready to battle, along with one Clefairy.

Tempest was surprised, she had thought that Red had ran away, but he had gotten some of the wild Pokemon on his side! They had a chance! Red nodded at the Geodude on his arm, who jerked his head at his fellow Geodude. They then charged down the slope and into the cavern, the Sandshrew and the single Clefairy running in after them. The first Geodude stayed on Red's arm as he climbed down the slope.

The Rocket grunts began to panic as the wild Pokemon charged at them, and they quickly fumbled for their Pokeballs, releasing a couple of Golbat, another Raticate, an Ekans, a Machop, a Grimer, and a few Rattatas.

The overseer sneered, "So there was another trainer after all, your little Charmander and Pikachu were very annoying," He pulled a super potion, "Crush them," He ordered the rest of the grunts, who all called out attacks to their Pokemon.

"Red!" Aoi cried, who was now on the other side of the cavern, "You came!"

Red gulped, but snapped his fingers. The Geodudes all prepared a Rock Throw, launching them up towards the Golbats. Red looked at the three Sandshrew, and pointed towards Aoi. They watched Red for a second, then two of them burrowed underground. They resurfaced in front of Aoi, ready to protect her as the Ekans raced towards her, baring its fangs, which gleamed with Bite. The Sandrew leapt up, slashing at the snake with Scratch.

The Parasect and the Paras when after the Raticate, releasing a series of spores, and slowly draining its energy with Giga Drain and Leech Life. The rat screeched, trying to attack, but the small Paras kept jumping arounds its feet, so the Raticate could never focus on one target.

The last Sandshrew was fighting the Grimer, so Tempest decided to go after the Machop since the Geodudes were handling all of the Golbats above. She slammed into Machop with a Quick Attack, quickly drawing its attention away from the Geodudes it had been trying to attack. He slammed a Karate Chop attack towards her, but Tempest jumped back, huffing. She was still worn down from the fight with the Rhydon, but that didn't stop her from releasing a Thundershock at the Machop as it tried to attack her again.

Out of the corner of her eye Tempest saw the Clefairy leading the scientists away while the Rocket grunts were distracted. She noticed that Aoi was now back into the fight, ordering two of the Sandshrews into attacks, and they were listening to her as well. Aiden was helping the other Sandshrew with the Grimer, but he was as worn down as Tempest was. She knew that they were stronger than the wild Pokemon, but they were tired from their battles earlier, and all of Aoi's Pokemon were knocked out.

She fired off another Thundershock at the Machop, then darted around with Quick Attack to confuse it. The fighting type kept turning, trying to keep track of her as she released yet another Thundershock. She leapt up, her front paw suddenly gleaming with orange energy. She was just as surprised as the Machop as she brought down the Rock Smash attack on its forehead, making it stumble again.

Tempest landed, looking at her paw in awe. She hadn't learned a new move in ages! Was this the power she had heard captured Pokemon talk about, the strength of being with a trainer? She closed her small paw into a fist, and it glowed with Rock Smash once again, and she brought it down on the back of the Machop's head, knocking it out. She flexed her hand, the energy was strange, a type she hadn't used before. Perhaps something that could be used against those annoying rock and ground types? She grinned, she liked the thought of that!

"Char!" Aiden screamed, running towards Red. Tempest looked up in time to see the Rhydon charging at Red with a Crush Claw, and small Aiden quickly taking the attack for his trainer. Red's eyes widened as he watched his starter get sent flying into the rocky cave wall. Aiden forced himself to his feet, firing an Ember at the Rhydon.

Impossible! That Rhydon had been knocked out! Tempest had seen it herself-

Then she noticed the super potion in the overseer's hand. She growled, cheeks sparking in anger. He had healed up the Rhydon- the only real threat to both the wild Pokemon and her!

Aiden leapt at the Rhydon again, claws gleaming with Metal Claw. The Rhydon was ready for him though, and smacked him to the ground. Aiden stumbled, trying to attack again, but the Crush Claw hit him once more, slamming him back into the wall. Then the Rhydon raised his arm, slamming his fist into the side of the cave wall. Tempest blinked, confused until she heard a rumbling from above.

"Pika!" She cried in realization, running forward, but it was too late. The Rock Slide attack came crashing down on Aiden, burying the weakened Charmander in a pile of rocks. Red stared at the remains of the Rock Slide in horror, and Tempest sped into a Quick Attack, forming her new Rock Smash attack into her paw, slamming it into one of the rocks that covered her teammate. The rock began to crack, and she did it again, trying to reach him, "Chu!"

"Geo!" The Geodude with Red cried, firing a Rock Throw at the Rhydon as it charged at Red again. Tempest looked back at her trainer, and then at the rock pile. She closed her eyes, cringing, then turned and ran at the Rhydon, hitting him right on the shoulder with her Rock Smash.

"Rhy!" He cried in pain, striking Tempest in her stomach, knocking her off of him. Tempest huffed, stumbling to her feet. She was at the end of her rope, and she knew it. She still stumbled towards Red, standing in front of him protectively. Red hadn't left them, and Tempest knew that he did care for her. She looked up at the Rhydon as a bit of blood trailed from a cut on her- he wasn't going to get Red without going through her.

"Chu!"

The Rhydon sighed, "Don," He said quietly, taking a step towards her. They both knew that she couldn't take one more attack. Even with the wild Pokemon beating the Rocket ones, if both of Red's Pokemon fell then they would be helpless. The Rhydon watched her, but she didn't move away from Red. He rolled his eyes, preparing a final attack.

"_...Mander...!"_

All eyes turned towards the remains of the Rock Slide, where a bright white glow could be seen radiating from in between the pile of boulders. The light intensified, and the pile began to tremble as something from within stirred. One of the rocks tumbled away, and Aiden stood up, but he was drenched in the white glow, which brightened as he climbed out of the rock pile, and he began to change. His short arms grew longer, and his stubby claws curled into sharp talons. He grew taller, his legs becoming slim and muscular. His tail and neck began long and elegant, and a single horn sprouted from the back of his head.

The glow faded, and the small Charmander was gone. In its place was a sleek, red, Charmeleon. The Charmeleon took a step forward, snarling at the Rhydon. The Rhydon turned to face the newly evolved Aiden, letting out a low growl.

Aiden sped forward, no longer clumsy like he was as a Charmander. The Rhydon stumbled back as Aiden jumped up, landing right on top of the Rhydon. Aiden opened his mouth, and flames danced along his teeth, and then he sank his fangs right into the Rhydon's back.

The rock type let out a cry as the Fire Fang hit him, and Aiden leapt off as the Rhydon as it staggered back, hitting the wall of the cave. Aiden turned towards it, slowly circling the Rhydon. Aiden carried himself like a raptor, making small clicking noises with his tongue as he stalked the Rhydon, baring his teeth angrily. Tempest shuddered, Aiden had gone from cute to terrifying.

Suddenly Aiden darted forward, his sharp claws gleaming with Metal Claw, and he used his powerful legs to spring onto the Rhydon's chest, raking his claws across its rocky skin. The Rhydon let out a cry, and Aiden's teeth lit up with Fire Fang once more, and he bit at the Rhydon's neck, eyes gleaming with an intensity as he leapt back, releasing a powerful Ember. The Rhydon snarled pushing itself back to its feet, glaring at Aiden. It slammed its fist into the wall, and a Rock Slide came crashing down from the cave ceiling towards Aiden.

The Charmeleon sprang forward, darting around each boulder with ease in his new speedy form. Aiden charged at the Rhydon, preparing his Fire Fang once more.

"Rhydon, return!" The overseer snarled, returning his rock type to its Pokeball. Aiden's jaws snapped at empty air, smoke curling up from his mouth as he smothered out the Fire Fang. Aiden jerked his head up towards the overseer, snarling. The Charmeleon let out a lower hiss, slowly advancing like a Persian on the hunt towards the Rocket grunts.

All of the grunt's Pokemon had been defeated, leaving a bunch of defenseless Rockets against some very anger cave Pokemon, the scientists, and a newly evolved Charmeleon. Aiden swung his fiery tail side to side as he slowly stepped forward, baring his fangs.

As if the wild Pokemon could tell the Rockets were weakened, more wild Pokemon began to appear. Peering up over rocks and crawling into the cavern from deeper parts of the cave. All the grunts looked towards the overseer for instructions as they returned their fallen Pokemon.

"Well boys," The overseer said weakly, "There's no way my Rhydon can take all of these guys on, so..." He pulled something from out of his pocket, "We retreat for now!" He cried, throwing the object into the air. It began to hiss, releasing a plume of smoke into the cavern. The thick smoke quickly engulfed the room, leaving all the humans and Pokemon coughing and covering their faces as the smoke bomb went off.

Aoi looked around as the smoke began to disperse, but the grunts were gone. She let out a sigh, picking up one of the fallen Sandshrew that had battled for her. She walked over towards Red, who was sitting on the ground, hands holding his head like he had a headache. One of the Geodudes was next to him, watching him in concern. Tempest slunk towards Red, climbing onto his lap, looking up at him.

Aiden slowly approached his trainer, and the fierce look in his eyes were gone. The sweet little look that he always had as as Charmander was back, his big blue eyes watching his trainer with worry. Aiden nudged Red with his head, whimpering uncertainly. He was careful to keep his new sharp claws back so he didn't hurt his trainer with his powerful form.

Red opened his eyes, breathing heavily. He looked up towards Aiden, who gave him a small smile, "Mele," Aiden cooed, and Red extended a hand towards him. He patted Aiden on the snout, then closed his eyes again, just as exhausted as his Pokemon, yet a small smile flickered onto Red's face.

He had done it. He had gotten Team Rocket out of Mt. Moon.

* * *

**Aiden's a Charmeleon now! :)**

**A lot of people don't seem to like Charmeleon, but I love the little guy! Nearly as much as Charizard (and some days even more!) I like to picture Charmeleons like raptors, fast, good jumpers, and fierce in battle. I imagine Aiden to be a lot like the Velociraptors in Jurassic World, in his build, and the way he moves, and the way he fights. But Aiden is still Aiden though, and is very sweet outside of battle! :)**

**Current Movesets:**

**Aiden- Ember, Metal Claw, Fire Fang, Scratch, and _[_**_Not revealed yet_**_.]_**

**Tempest- Thundershock, Volt Tackle, Quick Attack, Rock Smash**

***Please note that in this story Pokemon are not limited to four moves! Some can have five or even six moves during a battle, its just that Pokemon usually have an average of about four "mastered" moves. And Pokemon don't "forget" moves, they just quit using them as more powerful ones come up. For example, Aiden now uses Metal Claw way more that Scratch, and soon the move Scratch won't be included in his moveset, and it will no longer be considered "mastered".**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten chapters guys! Whoo! (And only one gym battle so far... This story is going to be longer than I thought...) I don't mind though, this story has been really fun to write!**

* * *

"_Rooow!" A Fearow cried, preening her feathers outside of Oak's lab._

_A young Forest stared at the Fearow as he walked down from his house, not believing his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, before calling out, "A-ava?"_

_The Fearow looked up, her eyes gleaming. She let out a long call towards the boy, "Fear-row!" Forest ran up to her, stumbling over in his excitement. He threw his small arms around the Fearow's long neck, and she playfully nipped at his messy brown hair._

"_Ava, if you're here..." Forest began, looking up at her hopefully, "Does that mean that Dad is home too...?"_

"_Fear," She replied, pointing with her beak towards the lab. Forest trembled in excitement, then bolted into the lab. He threw open the door, looking around, and he saw him. He was following around Professor Oak as he paced, talking urgently. Forest was confused on why Gramps was treating Dad so coldly, but Forest didn't care- Dad was home!_

"_Daddy!" Forest cried, and both adults froze, "Dad- it really is you, you're really home! Citrine was right!"_

"_Forest," Professor Oak said stiffly, "Go outside and-" But Forest had already run forward towards his father. His father hesitated for a moment, before kneeling down and bringing his son into a hug._

"_Hey kiddo," He said quietly. Forest hugged him tighter, trying to keep back tears of joy. His father was home now! He was finally home! He pulled back, looking up at the man he hadn't seen in ages. He was wearing a gray outfit with the letter 'R' over his shirt pocket._

"_William," Professor Oak said sharply, "Please step away from my grandson."_

_William looked up at Professor Oak, "Pops," William replied quietly, "He is my son-"_

"_You have no right to call him that after you left them like that!" Professor Oak snarled, anger shining in his eyes, and Forest flinched, inching closer to his father. He had never seen Gramps that angry before, "And right after Melody's death as well! You thought it was hard enough for them to lose one parent- well you made them lose two!" Professor Oak clenched his fists, "Left your own children to join that stupid corrupt organization-" He muttered angrily._

_William stood up, "Rocket is not stupid, Dad," William said, "It is the future of Kanto, and-"_

"_Rocket is not what you think! The future of Kanto is _not _going to be some crime syndicate!" Professor Oak yelled, spinning around to face his son. He glared at William, "And don't you 'Dad' me! You will address me as Professor Oak, I did not raise you to leave your family and become a criminal!"_

"_W-what?!" Forest squeaked, gripping his father's leg tighter, "Dad didn't leave- he just came back! And he's not a c-criminal, right Dad?!" Forest looked up at his father with his big green eyes, and William looked away._

"_Why don't you go play with your sister?" William said quietly, "I need to talk with... your grandfather."_

_Forest pulled away slowly, uncertainty in his eyes. He looked back between his father and grandfather, unsure of who he should be agreeing with, since they seemed to be fighting right now. Forest stumbled towards the lab door, slipping outside without another word. He scurried around the lab, finding the window Professor Oak always kept open in the hot summer, and he sat right below it, listening in._

"_I allowed you into my lab today under the conditions that you would not talk to my grandchildren," Professor Oak said quietly, "I was giving you a chance to explain yourself."_

"_It's not my fault that Forest came in here," William replied, "He spoke to me first."_

_Professor Oak's voice began to break, "Will... You saw Forest, he needs you..." Professor Oak said quietly, tone softening, "And Citrine... she can barely sleep at night, she's taking harder than Forest, she needs you... Will, please, quit all this- this Rocket stuff- they are not what you think! Come home, these children need you, they need their father. I'm trying my best, but..." He sighed, "How can I replace their parents? They lost Melody, and she's gone forever. You can come back though, Will, please. You're my only son and-"_

"'_Son', is it now?" William said coldly, "Because I recall just told me to stop calling you 'Dad', _Professor Oak."

_Professor Oak took in a sharp breath, "You left your family," He hissed, "Then returned to try to convince me to join Team Rocket, of course I was mad- _am _mad. I will have nothing to do with Rocket again!" Professor Oak went quiet, "But I'm trying to give you a chance, if you were anyone else I would have called the police ages ago. Please come back Will, I'll help clear your name with the league, I'll-"_

"_The league is nothing," William interrupted, "It is weakening, Kanto is falling apart at its seams. Look at us compared to... Unova! We're a joke! Sinnoh has progressed while Kanto has fallen apart! The league will not protect us, and even you know that, or else why would you have quit it? Your knowledge could help Rocket, you could get up high, support the kids! And like I said, Team Rocket is the future, and I'm glad to be apart of it."_

_There was a moment of silence, and Professor Oak's voice went cold again, "Get out," He said quietly, "Get out of my lab and get out of my town. Don't you ever try to come back here, and don't you ever even dare look those children in the eyes again."_

"_They're my kids-"_

"_They were no longer yours the moment you joined Rocket!" Professor Oak screamed, "Get out of my lab, now!" There was the sound of a Pokeball opening. Young Forest curled up, unsure of what was happening._

"_Fine," William said, "I'm excited to watch you fall along with the rest of Kanto. And Barney doesn't scare me a bit," Forest heard someone turn sharply, and angry footsteps leaving the lab. Forest leapt to his feet, running around to the front of the lab just as his father threw open the lab door, heading towards his Fearow._

"_Dad!" Forest screamed. He wasn't quite sure what was going on between Gramps and his father- but it sounded like his father was about to leave forever. He couldn't lose his daddy again! William paused, looking at his son, "Daddy, please don't go again-!" Forest began._

"_Forest!" Professor Oak snapped, "Get over here right now!" Forest glanced over towards the door of the lab, where Professor Oak was standing with Barney the Dragonite. Forest shrank back at the sight of his angry grandfather, and William watched him for a moment, before continuing to Ava. The Fearow crained her head up as her trainer came closer._

"_But Dad-" Forest began._

"_Listen to your grandfather kiddo," William said, mounting on his Fearow's back as Professor Oak headed towards Forest, "But you won't get far in life."_

_Professor Oak grabbed Forest's shoulder as he took another step towards his father, "Forest, back into the lab, please."_

"_But Daddy!" Forest yelled, trying to break free of his grandfather's grasp, "I don't want him to go again!" Ava opened up her wings, ready to fly._

_Professor Oak said nothing as he forced the young Forest back in the lab. He didn't turn around as he said to William, "You have one minute to get out of here before I call the police,_ Rocket."

_Forest looked back, only to watch his father give Ava a small kick in the side, and she sprang into the air, carrying William off to the east._

* * *

"Are you going somewhere Gramps?" Citrine asked as she watched Professor Oak gather a few objects around his lab. Near the door was a large, golden Pidgeot. The shiny Pokemon tossed her head as the professor's granddaughter entered the lab. Professor Oak looked up, surprised to see Citrine, though he quickly covered it up with a smile.

"Ah, yes," He said, stuffing something into a messenger bag, "I need to fly over to Route 25, visiting a... friend. I won't be gone too long, I just need to drop off some old research with him that he wants to look at. If you need anything while I'm gone just give Mary a quick visit, I'm sure she'd be glad to help you," His eyes scanned the messy lab as if searching for something.

A Butterfree swooped into the lab, landing on Citrine's head as she snorted, "I'm seventeen Gramps, I'll be just fine," The Pidgeot ruffled her feathers, eyes glued to the Butterfree as it lazily flapped his wings, resting on his trainer's head.

"Of course," Professor Oak, not fully listening. He was lifting up some papers, still searching for something, "... Now where is that stupid folder..." He muttered, "I shouldn't have gotten it out so soon..."

Citrine watched her grandfather for a moment, while he shuffled through some papers, shaking his head. Whatever he had misplaced had obviously been important, judging by the worry on his face and his frantic searching. She glanced around the lab, spotting a large, bright white folder then seemed out of place among her grandfather's other work. It was sticking out from under several large books, as if it had been stuffed under there. She walked over to it, wondering if this was what he had been looking for. She grabbed it, gently sliding the folder out from the books. In the top right hand corner was a few words written in small print. She frowned, she had planned on handing it to her grandfather, but her curiosity overtook her as she read the small heading.

"Gramps...?" She asked, "What is... 'Project M'?"

Professor Oak jerked his head up, eyes wide as he noticed the folder in Citrine's grip. An angry look flashed over his eyes, "Give that to me," He said sharply, storming over to her.

Citrine flinched, startled at her grandfather's attitude change. She quickly held out the file as he snatched it out of her hands, glaring down at her. He didn't say anything, and for a half a second a bit of fear flashed over her face.

Professor Oak blinked as he saw this, and his gaze instantly softened, and he took a step back. He looked away, "Sorry..." He muttered, "This is the information my friend needs, and I was worried I had lost it. I guess I... overreacted when I saw it in your hands, it's just very important."

"T-that's fine," Citrine said quietly, "It's just a big folder, and I had never seen it before..."

"Curiosity isn't a bad thing," Professor Oak said, carefully opening the folder so it was angled away from Citrine, he quickly glanced over the pages, then closed the folder and stuffed it deep into his bag, "And I'd be more surprised if you had seen it before, it is very old work of mine, something I haven't touched in years."

"So," Citrine asked, "What _is_ Project M?"

Professor Oak closed his eyes, "Something that would be safer for you to forget," A small level of coldness had entered his tone, "I must be going now, I'll be back later," Professor Oak laid a hand on Citrine's shoulder, forcefully guiding her outside. The Butterfree floated up into the air as they stepped into the sun, and the shiny Pidgeot followed, stretching her wings as Professor Oak locked the door to his lab.

"Gramps..." Citrine began.

Professor Oak mounted his Pidgeot, "I'll see you later Citrine, good day," He nudged his Pidgeot in the side, and the golden eagle charged forward, opening her large wings and sprang into the air. Citrine turned away, partly upset at her grandfather's attitude, and partly because of the bright sunlight shiny Pokemon reflected as she flew.

* * *

"Char!"

_Thump!_

Red groaned as Aiden knocked him to the ground as he attempted to jump up onto Red's shoulder. The Charmeleon looked down at his trainer in confusion, now perched on a fallen Red's back. Red tried to stand up, but he was pinned to the ground by the large Charmeleon. After a strong wave of annoyance from Red, Aiden stepped off of him, sniffing his trainer as Red stumbled to his feet, back aching.

The Charmeleon roughly came up to his chest in height, though he was easily much longer than Red in you measured the fire type from snout to tail. His tail was long and muscular, with a bright burning flame yellow flame at the end. He no longer dragged his tail around as he did when he was a Charmander, but now he used it for balance with his speedy and powerful legs. Aiden hopped around Red excitedly as he adjusted his hat, eager for more action like he had at the cave yesterday.

Tempest watched Red and Aiden with her coppery eyes gleaming. Aiden was looking Red's shoulder with longing, wanting to sit on his favorite perch. Tempest got a look in her eyes, a grin spreading across her face. Her back legs twitched as she got ready, then she sprang through the air and landed roughly on Red's shoulder. Her trainer jumped in surprise, watching her with wild eyes as she shifted about to find a comfortable position. She rolled her eyes as she saw the familiar look of fear in Red's eyes. Usually at this point she'd spark her cheeks to tease him, but she didn't. One, she was on his shoulder and could be easily shoved to the ground if she approached Red wrong, and two, her respect had gone up for the boy.

Sure, he had that weird power where he twisted the other Pokemon's emotions about, but he only seemed to do it when it saw it necessary, not just because he could. And yes, he was a coward, but he was by no means weak. Maybe it had taken him sometime to decide to help the annoying girl, but he had in the end. He had taken his sweet time with gathering the wild Pokemon, but in the end he had provided the much needed back up.

This was her trainer now, she might as well work with him, not around him.

Besides, she had saw how powerful Aiden had gotten when he had connected with Red back at the gym, and she wanted that power for herself.

And who was going to protect this coward of a trainer? The Charmeleon acted like a hatchling, he would not do. Though she had to admit she was being hatchling-like herself as she stuck her tongue down at the Charmeleon as he stared up at her in shock and jealousy as she sat on Red's shoulder.

"Char- Char-" He stuttered, lower jaw twitching as she nuzzled her cheek against a stiffened Red, mocking Aiden with the fact that he could no longer sit on Red's shoulder. A frustrated look crossed the fire type's face, "_Charmel!"_ He cried, stomping his feet unhappily, smoke puffing up from the flame on his tail.

Aoi approached Red, three Pokeballs in her hand, "Looks like all your Pokemon are okay from yesterday," She commented, and Red didn't reply. They had stumbled into Cerulean City yesterday exhausted, filthy, and with wornout Pokemon. They had left their Pokemon in care of the nurse for the night when they had arrived at the Pokemon Center, while they had gotten the much needed rest from what had happened in Mount Moon yesterday.

The scientists had mostly been unharmed, with the exception of the one that had stood up against Team Rocket, but his injuries had been minimal. They had rewarded Aoi and Red for defending "Lord Helix" by giving them a fossil. Aoi had received some amber that had a fossilized tooth in the center, and Red had gotten a dome fossil. All Red saw was a rock though, but had hauled it out of the cave anyways.

"Shou is still with the nurse," Aoi said, looking down at her feet as she thought of her Spearow, "That Raticate broke one of his wings when it shook him. They're doing their best to get him into fighting shape, since evolution will be his quickest way of healing the fracture," She held up a Pokeball, "Then I still have this guy, I don't even know if he wanted to be caught or not, but he was in such bad shape I couldn't leave him back at Mt. Moon."

She released her Bulbasaur and Magikarp, holding the last Pokeball in her hands. She aimed the Pokeball towards the ground, releasing a small Sandshrew, "Sand?" He chirped, looking around at the Pokemon Center. Aoi knelt down onto his level. Aiden was behind Red, glaring at up at Tempest. She flashed a grin down at the Charmeleon, savoring the new kind of victory.

"Hey," She said quietly, "Sorry for catching you like that, but you needed to get medical attention."

"Shrew!"

"I can take you back to Mt. Moon," Aoi said, "Or... Or you can stick with me! If you want to, that is!" She added hastily, watching the Sandshrew for a reply. The small brown Pokemon thought for a moment, then shrugged. Aoi let out a squeal, bringing the Sandshrew into a hug, "Welcome to the team Riku!" She held him out to her Bulbasaur and Magikarp. Kiku smiled warmly, waving a vine in hello. Mizu however flopped about unhappily.

"Karp... Karp... Karp..."

Red was startled by how quickly the Sandshrew had given away its freedom, by how it hadn't given it much thought. The newly named Riku was perfectly content with leaving its home without even a goodbye and following a trainer for perhaps the rest of his life without knowing how she would treat him.

"Well Kiku," Aoi said, looking at her Bulbasaur, "It looks like you're up for this gym alone. Shou's out because of his wing, and Riku doesn't have the experience or the typing for a water gym, so-"

"Karp!" Mizu cried, jumping up and hitting Aoi in the face. She yelped, pulling the Magikarp off of her, staring at him as he flopped about, "Karp... Karp... Karp..."

"Um, well..." Aoi muttered uncertainly, "You do have a type resistance... do you want to be backup Mizu?"

"Karp!"

"Okay then!" Aoi said, holding him up, "Let's do some special training so you can learn Tackle! If Kiku falls in the gym you can take her place then, okay?"

"Karpkarp!" The Magikarp flopped out of Aoi's hands. The Sandshrew scratched the back of his head uncertainly, and Aoi turned to face Red, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket.

"Here," She said, "I was going to take on the Nugget Bridge challenge, but why don't you instead? Riku isn't ready to face trainers yet, and Mizu needs a water source to battle properly. And without Shou that would be making Kiku battle five trainers on her own, and I'm not doing it."

Red took the paper, but didn't bother looking at it since he couldn't read.

"I think it would be good for your Pokemon," Aoi said, "Since Charmeleon needs to get use to his new form and your Pikachu will need lots of experence since I'm sure you'll be using her in your next gym match, she does have an advantage after all."

"Pika!" Tempest grinned, liking what the annoying girl was saying.

"It's just north of the city," Aoi said, pointing out of the Pokemon Center, big bridge on Route 24, you can't miss it. If you beat all five trainers on it you get a cash prize! It's also great training for your Pokemon, and you never know, you may find another Pokemon out there that you want on your team," She tilted her head, "I mean, Charmeleon will be at a huge type disadvantage with the next gym and you may want a grass type or something. What do you say, want to try out Nugget Bridge?"

Red looked at his Pokemon. Tempest nodded, her little paws prancing in excitement at the thought of battling. Aiden was still shooting dirty looks at Tempest, but looked up at Red, showing off his new long claws, "Mel!"

Red shrugged, looking back at Aoi. His Pokemon did seem to enjoy battling... and the Pewter Gym had provided a feeling that he couldn't describe... The heat of the battle, the action, it...

It made him feel alive.

Red nodded to Aoi, he would try out this Nugget Bridge challenge. If he could feel that feeling again...

And if he could have strong Pokemon, he wouldn't be weak anymore. He would be able to fight off Team Rocket again, like he had in the cave. He wouldn't just have his freedom, he'd be able to protect it.

"Awesome!" Aoi chirped, "The north side of town should be that way..." She pointed towards the back of the Pokemon Center, "Should lead right up to routes 24 and 25, where the bridge is, do you think you could find it?"

Red shrugged, he could travel in one direction with no problem. Besides, he was eager to get away from Aoi's high pitched voice.

"Okay!" She said, waving to him, "I'll see you later Reddy!" She ran out of the Pokemon Center, her Pokemon going after her.

Red frowned, watching the Magikarp desperately flop after her until Aoi turned around, picking him up, then running off once more.

* * *

**Fun fact, originally Red was going to have a Sandshrew and Magikarp on his team in earlier plans of this story, but I shifted those Pokemon to Aoi later on. And Aoi at one point was going to have a mono poison type team, consisting of the Bulbsaur, Zubat, Nidoran, Weedle, Tenacool, and Gastly evolution lines, but later that was changed as well.**

**Also, a question for you guys: Do you enjoy reading the flashback scenes that I put at the beginning of each chapter?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Long time, no see! I would apologize, but that seems to be something I do everything chapter... ****But you get a long chapter today!**

**Last time I asked if you guys like the flashbacks at the beginning, and I only got positive responses, so...**

**There's a long flashback this chapter!**

**Don't worry, there's a lot of the main story line too. Flashback takes half of the chapter, and the main story line takes up the other half.**

**So enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Red wasn't happy._

_He was sitting at one of the break room tables, with Proton across from him and the chess set in front of them. That wasn't the problem though, he had actually enjoyed Proton's explanation of how each chess piece uniquely moved across the board, but it was the attention on them that was bothering Red._

_Most of the grunts the were watching him as Proton taught him the game, some with interest, others with annoyance. Red was sure the annoyance was directed at Proton, who had made enemies with most of the other grunts with his attitude, but all the eyes in his general direction made Red's blood boil with fear._

_Having too much attention was dangerous._

"_Now," Proton said with a smile, though it didn't seem to be friendly, "I've showed you the basics and we've had a little practice round, why don't we start a real game now, kid?" He seemed eager just to play, Red had noticed the hungry look in his eyes as they played what he called a 'practice round'. Proton's eyes had scanned the board and had moved each piece with timing and skill. He didn't just do things in the moment- but each play was setting up for a bigger move in the future._

_Red gave a little nod, watching as Proton began to move the shiny Pokemon pieces back into their starting place. Red mimicked him, moving the small regular Pokemon figures back into two straight little rows. He ran a finger over the Nidoking as he set it down, it was the most important piece of the game, according to Proton. The piece you had to protect at all costs, and the piece you had to defeat in your opponent's set to win. The most valuable piece, the key to the game._

_Yet it was the weakest one as well._

_It confused Red, how could this piece that could only move one space be so important? How could something so weak be so valuable? Red frowned as he set the Nidoqueen piece next to the Nidoking. The Nidoqueen piece seemed to control the game, it was the most powerful piece in the set, and there was only one of them. From what Red could tell the Nidoqueen piece was the one you should use to protect the important Nidoking._

_But even with Proton's explanation of the game, Red knew he didn't have a full understanding of how the game work. Proton had told him the basics, but he didn't know the strategy behind chess. And most importantly, he didn't know _Proton's _strategy. He had no hope of defeating Proton this round, not with his simple knowledge on the game._

_Red set the Rapidash pieces next to the Bisharps. The Rapidash pieces were the knights, they had the most interesting way of moving. They were tricky pieces, that could come from any angle. Was that how he'd have to learn the game? Explore the game from a new angle to understand it fully? Form a way he could pick up strategy, but at the same time figure out how Proton played? But he had to do this without Proton figuring out what he was doing... Then he could stop him..._

_Red placed the Honchkrows at the end of the board, then started putting the Pawniards in the second row, all lined up. They were the grunts of the game- weak- only good for small things, and disposable. A piece that you could seem to lose without much trouble. Red set the last one up, tapping his finger against the table. A piece you could lose... One you could lose on purpose to gain an advantage later, according to Proton..._

_That's how he was going to win. Red needed to lose this match._

_Red blinked, mind racing as the idea entered his mind. It was fascinating, the way he pulled and tugged on the thought, expanding on it in just a few seconds. The point of the game was winning, but there was no way he could win his first real game, he just didn't have enough experience. But he needed to use that to his advantage. He couldn't focus on winning, since that goal wasn't one he could have. This round was purely be a learning round, just like the 'practice round', except now Proton would be playing to win._

_He could figure out Proton's strategy this game, and then in the next game Red could figure out how to counter it._

_Red gulped, the plan quickly taking shape in his mind. How he'd move each of his pieces around to figure out which ones Proton went after, and to find out what ones of his he'd protect. Red knew he'd have to be careful, to play it out as if he was just still unsure of how to play the game. He'd have to hesitate at the right moment, and look nervous with how he placed the pieces. Lower Proton's guard, yet observe the way he played._

_Proton smiled as all the pieces were put into place, "Shiny moves first," He said, moving a blue Pawniard forward two spaces. Red moved his own shaking hand forward, not even noticing all of the people watching them. All of his attention had been given to this new game, his plan racing through his mind. He didn't notice the way he hunched over, eyes constantly scanning the board each turn, or the way Proton smiled at his eagerness._

_The game progressed, and Red was losing big time, just like he had planned, and just like he had expected. He kept losing pieces on purpose, and ignored the pieces of Proton's that he could have claimed. Red moved his Bisharp a few spaces, making it look like he was targeting Proton's Nidoqueen, and his Bisharp was quickly claimed by a purple Honchkrow piece, even though that put the rook in position to be taken by Red's Pawniard. He knew that Proton knew this, but the Nidoqueen was more important to Proton. But Red didn't claim the Honchkrow- he had to make it look like he wasn't observing every possible move like he truly was._

_Red's plan seemed to be working, and Proton became more and more reckless as the game advanced. Proton was observant, but lowered his guard easily. It wasn't long before until Red found his Nidoqueen and both Rapidash pieces claimed, leaving him with two Pawniards, a Bisharp, and of course his Nidoking._

_Red moved his Nidoking forward one space, and Proton slid his shiny Nidoqueen across the board, cornering Red's Nidoking between it and his Rapidash, "And that's checkmate," Proton grinned, clearly savoring his victory, even though it was only Red's first real game of chess. Proton turned his gaze to Red, scanning him, "A deal is a deal kid, you said you'd tell me your name."_

_Red flinched, he had forgotten that he had promised to tell Proton his name if he lost. Red raised his eyes, looking into Proton's cold teal eyes. Red knew he wasn't someone to keep waiting, but his mouth was dry. Red's hands started shaking, and he was only remembering Proton snapping the wrist of the other grunt that had lost, quietly taunting him. This man was harsh- dangerous! Why was he here? He had to get away-! He needed to run-!_

_Red closed his eyes, drowning out the desperate thoughts. Running was dangerous. Running made them mad. Running made everything hurt worse. He just needed to speak up and he'd be fine. He'd be okay, he just needed to say his name... He could do that... he could! ...Right...?_

"_Well kid?" Proton asked, "Still scared of me? I told you, I don't bite unless you cross me. Just spit it out. I'm curious, I mean, what's someone your age even doing here?"_

_Red took in a deep breath, trying to remember the game. How he had enjoyed learning it, and playing it- even if he had lost on purpose. He was okay... It was okay... He could play it some more if he just said his name. He could learn even more, test his strategy out... He just needed to relax..._

"_R-r... R-red..." Red squeaked out, voice high pitched and cracking as he forced himself to vocalize, "R-red, s-sir..." His voice was unfamiliar to him, he hadn't heard it in so long. The last time he had made any noise was when he had disobeyed... Red ducked, shaking as the words left his mouth._

"_Red? Like the color? Like your eyes?" Proton asked, clearly surprised. Red nodded quickly, not looking up, shaking harder. Proton simply smiled though, "Red, huh? That's a... an unique name. Interesting. I like it," Proton scanned Red, "Well, are you up for another round, kid?" He pointed to the chess game, clearly more interested in that than learning more about Red._

_Red pulled himself back together, peering down at the game. Yes, he did want to play again. Chess was fun, it was something new. It was something that worked his brain. It made him forget about Father and all the hurt. Red nodded, reaching out to put the pieces back. Proton nodded, doing the same._

_Red took a deep breath, moving his pieces back much faster than last time. His mind was already jumping ahead, scanning out what he had learned about Proton's style from the last game. He was already imagining his future moves in his mind, figuring out how he could take out Proton's most powerful pieces. He needed to keep up the illusion that he didn't really know what he was doing, to keep Proton's guard down, but just be slightly better so he could keep Proton's interest. Red was sure that if he didn't provide any sort of challenge that Proton wouldn't play the game with him again._

_But this second round would be all Red needed. If he could just take out both Rapidash pieces and the Nidoqueen he could quickly win... Proton moved his first piece, the same one as last time. With that one move Red began to predict his future moves, it seemed that he'd be mimicking the same plan as he had done as last time._

_Red's mother had always said that he had a good memory when he was observing, though he was easily distracted. Red had never thought much about it, but now he think he understood what she had meant. He knew exactly what Proton was planning to do, and he began to move certain pieces into places so he could strike Proton's pieces in the future. Red allowed one of his Honchkrows to be taken, along with a few Pawniards to keep Proton's guard low._

_It wasn't long before they found themselves in a similar position as last time, Proton having all of his pieces set up for victory, and Red having not claimed any of Proton's shiny Pokemon pieces. But this time Red had his own pieces set up as well- and this time he was ready to win._

_Red gulped a bit, and moved his Bisharp, taking one of Proton's knight pieces. As the the Rapidash was removed from the board Proton gave him a dry smile, "Seems you're finally picking up on this now," He said, and Red tried not to squirm at the taunt._

_Proton moved another one of the pieces without concern, and Red couldn't stop the grin that was creeping up onto his face as he moved yet another piece, claiming Proton's Nidoqueen. The grunt's eyes widened for a moment as he realized that his strongest piece had just been taken out. He sat up, his relaxed demeanor gone as he carefully scanned the board to make his next move. Red couldn't deny that he loved the look of panic appearing on his face as he slowly realized that all of Red's pieces were in position to take his out. He looked up at him for a moment, staring, then hesitantly moved his last knight, which Red happily claimed with his rook._

_Though it was just a game, the sense of control washed over Red. It was a strange feeling, one he had never really felt before. But he was savoring it, savoring the fear and panic in Proton's eyes, he was enjoying how he now had control over this little game. The sense of power seemed to awaken a hunger and enjoyment in Red._

_Was this how Father felt?_

_Proton didn't say anything else to Red, his whole focus dedicated to the game. Silence hung through the break room, everyone watching as the new, smug grunt was being defeated by a mere child. Everytime Proton moved a piece, Red was quickly able to take it, and soon Red's number of claimed pieces were nearly equal to Proton's. Proton was no amatur though, and had managed to move his last Bisharp to safety, taking out Red's last Honchkrow piece._

_Red studied the board. He was left with his Nidoking, Nidoqueen, a Pawniard, and a Bisharp. Proton had his Bisharp, Nidoking, and a Honchkrow. Red moved his Pawniard forward, hoping to bait Proton into taking it with his Honchkrow, but the grunt didn't move the piece, only keeping them protectively hovering around the Nidoking. Red chewed his lips, Proton was now full fully aware that he knew how the game worked, and was in full defensive mode. Red had lost his main advantage of Proton's recklessness, and he had never been this far into the game before. He hesitated, then moved his Bisharp diagonally four spaces._

_Proton eyed the now open piece, but didn't go after it as he moved another piece. Red slid his Nidoqueen to the side, leaving his king piece open as he claimed Proton's Honchkrow. Proton smirked, and used his Bisharp to take out Red's Nidoqueen with a satisfied smirk, happy to have taken out the most powerful piece._

"_Bad move, kid," Proton said smugly._

_Red didn't flinched, only moved his own Bisharp, then opened his lips, letting out a cracked, "C-checkmate."_

_The look on Proton's face was priceless, eyes darted around the board to see if Red's claim was correct. His jaw was hanging open in stunned disbelief that a young child had outsmarted him in a game that he had been playing since he was even younger. Red shivered as the feeling of victory washed over him- it was sweet. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, and the pride that was blooming is his heart was just as unfamiliar. The sense of accomplishment was foreign, and seemed to struggle against the fact that he was 'weak' and 'pathetic', the phrases that had been branded into Red's mind._

_But all of these emotions drained away as he dared look at Proton's face._

_The grunt looked mad, very mad. Fear crawled through Red as he saw the harshness gleaming in Proton's face, a look he had learned to expect pain from. Suspicion was gleaming in his eyes, and he slowly stood. All of the other grunts were watching, all grinning as if this was their favorite TV show._

"_Did you lie to me?" He asked quietly, "Because you have clearly played this game before to pull off a move like that."_

_Red then realized that Proton wasn't mad about losing, maybe disappointed, but that wasn't fueling his rage. Red's heart began pounding, Proton must have thought he had been lying about not knowing how to play chess. Yes, he had purposely thrown the first game, but it wasn't like he'd be able to win it anyways. Today was his first time playing! Red opened his lips, hoping he'd get the chance to cough out an explanation, but his mouth betrayed him. His throat tightened up in fear, memories of Father screaming at him to 'shut up' rushing through his mind. Red's lips trembled, then pressed shut, not letting him speak._

"_Heh, you did say chess was a game of skill and smarts, newbie," One of the grunts chuckled, "I guess the kid has his father's brains," That wasn't meant to be a compliment, and Red knew that. He was simply reminding all of the other grunts in the room that he was the Boss's son, and that Proton didn't know that. They were simply trying to egg Proton on to see what would happen to him in he laid a hand on Red._

_Red's heart started racing, knowing that Father probably wouldn't care. Why should he when he did the same thing to Red himself? Proton glared at Red, and the boy stumbled back. He was afraid of what Proton would do to him, but he was even more afraid of what would happen to him if the grunts figured out that Father didn't care if something happened to him. He didn't want to lose that one layer of protection that he had here._

"_You're telling me that some kid is smart enough to out play someone in his first game against a person who's been playing chess for years?" Proton sneered, "I wouldn't believe that even if his father was the champion!" _

_Was it really that strange that he had been able to defeat Proton? He had just studied how the way he had moved the pieces! Red shuffled back towards the corner where he always was in the breakroom. He knew it couldn't hide him though, it wouldn't save him. Why had he agreed to the game? He knew Proton was dangerous, why had he taken a risk?_

"_No, I'm afraid I'm not the champion," A deep voice said, and chills raced through everyone in the room, "But my son is not a liar. He knows better than to lie to me, and that would extend to everyone working under me as well."_

_Red's heart pounded, fear and awe rushing through him. The last person he had ever expected to defend him was here. Red shifted his gaze towards the door of the break room, where Giovanni was standing, studying the situation with interest. All of the grunts immediately leapt to attention, hands flying up to a respectfully salute. Ariana, a girl recently promoted to an executive, was standing in the hallway behind Giovanni, flanked by two admins._

"_Boss! Sir!" All the grunts cried at once._

_Giovanni paid them no attention, his cool dark eyes sweeping across the room, settling on Red. There was no pity in his gaze as he stared at his trembling son, "Chess?" He asked, "Not something that I'd expect you to do."_

_Red's heart raced faster, what did Father mean? Was he angry, upset? Simply surprised? Why was Father even here, if he had wanted Red he would have just sent someone to retrieve him. Why was Father so hard to read right now? Usually he could tell what Father was feeling just by looking at him._

"_... You're the_ Boss's _kid?" Proton muttered, glancing between Red and Giovanni, eyes wide._

_Red looked at his father, not sure what to do._

"_Yes, he is," Giovanni said, eyes still focused on Red, "But I'm afraid that's none of your business. Red, come here."_

_Red scampered over towards Giovanni as soon as the order left his mouth. Proton was still staring at Red, quickly observing the fear in the child's eyes as he approached his own father. Red was more fearful than usual though, he didn't know what was going through Giovanni's mind. The sight of an angry Giovanni terrified him, but an unreadable one horrified him. He didn't know what to expect._

_Giovanni's hand clamped around the back of Red's neck, steering him towards the door of the room. Red offered no resistance, stumbling to try to keep up with his father's broad paces as they walked out of the break room. Father didn't seem angry, but he was clearly in a rush._

"_H-hey kid!" Proton called, voice shaking a bit. The grunts stiffened as Giovanni paused, they all knew that no one was to get in the Boss's way, and that included the people with him. Red tried to glance back at Proton, but his range of motion limited by his father's grip. Red's eyes were wide, darting up towards Giovanni in a panic. Proton hesitated again, realizing that he was stopping his boss by talking to Red, but still he dared to speak again, "G-good game kid. I hope I get to play against you again," His eyes flickered up towards Giovanni, as if afraid of retaliation of some kind. Giovanni did nothing, just stood there._

"_... B-bye..." Red whispered, voice quieter than ever. Immediately the boy flinched and cowered as he spoke, and Giovanni stared down at him, blinking in surprise as he heard his son speak. The look soon passed through, and he shoved Red out of the room, making his way down the hall, Ariana and the admins flanking them._

_Red blinked a few times, dimly aware that they were heading towards the labs. Something must have popped up there that they needed him for, which explained his father's sudden appearance. Red thought back at Proton's parting words, he had dared to speak out of turn, in Father's presence no less! He hadn't sounded bitter about the loss either... He had wanted to play chess with him again. A new feeling sputtered in Red's confused heart, one that was less consuming than power, yet more desirable than the feel of control._

_Did he have a friend?_

* * *

"Char!" Aiden released his Ember attack at the Caterpie, knocking it out with one hit. The bug catcher let out a groan, recalling the final bug type back to the Pokeball- his entire team had been wiped with Aiden, who hadn't even taken one hit.

"I should see if I can get my hands on a Surskit..." The bug catcher muttered, "Then I'd have a chance to deal with fire types..." He stepped aside, allowing Red to progress on the bridge. Red made note of what he had said, it seemed that fire was one of bugs types 'weaknesses'.

For something called the 'Nugget Bridge _challenge_', it was very easy so far, or perhaps that was due to the fact that the first trainer only had bug types. Red had been expecting something that was harder, like that gym battle he had in Pewter City. Or maybe this was just easy because Aiden had now evolved.

Red glanced down at the Charmeleon beside him. Even with his much fiercer look and larger size, the fire type didn't act much different. He was still playful and had that silly gleam in his sky blue eyes. Aside from the death glares he'd throw to the Pikachu on Red's shoulder, Aiden was still as cuddly as an Eevee.

The next trainer on Nugget Bridge sent out a Pidgey, and Tempest's feet began prancing about in her excitement. Red looked at the Pikachu, signaling her to go into battle. A wicked grin spread across her otherwise cute face, and she sprang down from Red's shoulder, darting towards the Pidgey with her Quick Attack. Aiden raised his head up high as if he had just won a battle, staring at Red's empty shoulder in triumph.

Red snapped his fingers once, and Tempest released a Thundershock at the Pidgey. The Pikachu had taken to Red's snapping for battle comands very quickly, probably having witnessed him use it in the gym battle and in the last battle with Aiden. The Pidgey let out a squawk as it was hit, stumbling in time for a final Quick Attack to strike it, defeating the flying type. Tempest sparked her cheeks, a mixture of emotions on her face. Red sensed that she was proud with how quickly she had defeated the Pokemon, but disappointed with how she didn't get to battle for long. Red inched back from her, still clearly uncomfortable with the electricity coming from her.

The Pikachu confused Red, he could sense her emotions just fine, but he couldn't manipulate them at all. Red knew he couldn't sense or influence Pokemon if they had one of those small gray stones touching them, it blocked their energy, but Tempest wasn't holding one and he could perceive her feelings just fine, so what was going on with her?

"Char!" Aiden cried, springing up towards Red just as the girl sent out an Oddish while she recalled her Pidgey. Red was knocked to the ground as the Charmeleon pounced on him the second time that day. This time Red was knocked onto his back. He cringed as a small wave of pain flared up his back and to his neck. Aiden stared down at him, his large feet planted on Red's chest, disappointed that his attempt to be on Red's shoulder had failed once more. Despite sensing Red's annoyance, the fire type nuzzled his trainer with his head, his smooth scales bushing against Red's skin.

Tempest rolled her eyes and the girl stared down at Red uncertainly, "Um... That's him showing affection... Right?" She asked, scratching the back of her head.

Red groaned, but didn't respond. He stared at the fire type, and pointed towards the Oddish she had just released. Aiden nodded, and sped off Red, running towards the grass type, and sank his Fire Fang into the stunned Oddish before it could process that the battle had begun. Red slowly staggered to his feet, and by the time he had stood up Aiden had defeated the girl's Bellsprout as well.

"Mel!" He beamed up at Red proudly.

"Your Pokemon are pretty strong," The girl admitted as she recalled her final Pokemon, "I'm sure you'll have no problem with the rest of the trainers."

Red slowly nodded, walking away as the third trainer released an Ekans. A few whimpers from Tempest made it clear that the Pikachu wanted to battle, and Red sighed, leaning back against the bridge, letting the battle hungry Pikachu finish the match while he recovered from Aiden's pounce. Red kept one of his crimson eyes trailed on his starter, making sure the Charmeleon didn't knock him down again. Aiden didn't seem concerned though, at least when Tempest wasn't near Red.

The next three battles went quickly, with the hardest of the fights being the Pikachu and Charmeleon arguing on who would get the next battle. The final battle was the toughest match of the five, with the young trainer having a very powerful Mankey, and now both of Red's Pokemon were worn out. After a bit of a struggle from Aiden, he had managed to take it down with a Metal Claw after he had been outlined in a crackling blue and purple energy. Red had no idea what move it had been, he was sure he had seen Aiden use it back as a Charmander on Route 1. It reminded him of his Blaze ability, it seemed to make the Pokemon stronger.

Aiden was darting around Red's feet as he approached the man at the edge of the bridge, still full of energy from the strange move he had used. Tempest was back on Red's shoulder, huffing in exhaustion, but a satisfied smile was on her face. For the first time since she had been caught, she was truly happy. Red didn't seem tense with her on his shoulder anymore, at least when her cheeks weren't sparking.

"You're quite the battler," The man noted, and Red looked up at him, recoiling in surprise. The man tilted his head, "You okay kid?" He asked.

Red nodded, looking away. The man had bright green eyes, and for a moment Red had sworn he had been looking at Forest. While they looked similar, this man wasn't the professor's grandson. Besides, this man was much older than Forest. There was an Arcanine sitting next to the trainer, and Aiden approached his fellow fire type, looking up at the large fire dog. The Arcanine sniffed at Aiden, then she laid back, looking uninterested in him. Aiden whined unhappily, pawing at her face. The Arcanine snorted, turning away.

"I'm impressed with your team, a whole bridge of trainers taken out by only two Pokemon!" The Forest lookalike exclaimed. And Red frowned at his tone, it sounded like he was faking his praise. Red instantly was on guard, studying the man. He was wearing a simple gray outfit with a light sleeveless jacket. Even without the sleeves, Red thought it was a bit warm for an extra layer of clothes. Then again he was the one where a long sleeve shirt and jacket, but at least he had a reason, "Congratulations," The man said, "You're the first person to defeat us today!"

Red glanced towards the bridge, he didn't think the accomplishment deserved praise, it was still the morning so many people probably haven't come through here. Red frowned again, noticing all the trainers that he had battled were now gone.

"I'm sure we'll have more challenges later," The man said, chuckling at Red's expression, "They need to heal up their Pokemon. But I suppose that since you won you deserve your prize, right? We keep it a ways in the forest, don't want people trying to take it by force, just keep up."

"Char!" Aiden cried unhappily as they walked into the small forest on Route 25. He headbutted Red nervously, but his trainer didn't respond. Red was suspicious of the man, yet Red didn't seem to understand the simple danger of following someone into the woods. He seemed satisfied with simply keeping his distance from the man, but he was walking so fast that Red was struggling to not fall too far behind. The man's Arcanine was walking more slowly, a little ways behind Red. Aiden glanced back at her, then looked up at Tempest, who was sharing the same worried expression as him.

The man pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, tossing it back towards Red. He fumbled to catch it, and the man chuckled, "Cash prize, as promised," He said, still walking away. Red hesitated, not sure if he should follow the man or not. The man had given no sign for him to leave, but why was he leading him away from the bridge? The man so far hadn't shown any signs that he was dangerous, but Red knew better than to judge by looks. Besides, it seemed that people beyond the base weren't always out to get you... "You're an interesting kid," The man commented, "Young, but strong. A bit on the quiet side, but you have potential, my group has an interest in young trainers, they make good recruits. The boss needs a lot of recruits now days..."

Red suddenly stopped, his heart racing at the word 'boss', he had ever only known one person to be called that...

The man turned around as they reached a small clearing, pulling down part of his jacket, revealing a bright red 'R' on his shirt, "Would you like to join Team Rocket, kid?" The man, a slight smirk tugging on his face as Red took a sudden step back, "Seems like you've heard plenty about us... but of course, who hasn't heard of Rocket these days? Team Rocket is the future of Kanto, no matter how much the League tries to assure Kantonians that everything is under control..." He laughed.

Red's stomach churned as he realized his stupidity, he had just allowed himself to be lead away from the bridge and the city... now he was alone with a Rocket in the forest. He took another step back, only to hear a low growl. The Arcanine was standing behind him, her fangs bared, making it quite clear that they weren't leaving. Tempest sparked her cheeks, making Red flinched. Aiden quickly ran in front of his trainer, hissing, but Red saw the weariness in his eyes- his Pokemon were worn out from all the battles back at the bridge. Red gritted his teeth, realizing that was probably planned out as well- now he was alone with no Pokemon that could fight.

But the man only had one Pokemon out right now, one without the stone. The Arcanine was free game for him to control. If he acted quickly he could make a quick distraction and get away before the man sent out any other Pokemon...

Red focused on the Arcanine, trying to gather his emotions just as a voice snarled, "Shelly, Water Gun!"

"Tle!" A voice cried, and a jet of water struck the Arcanine in the back of her head. The canine let out a yelp as her head was soaked, but she seemed unharmed. The man looked up, eyes narrowed, while his Arcanine wheeled around, fire flowing from her mouth as she located her attacker. The Arcanine stopped mid-Flamethrower, staring at the boy that had just entered the clearing after them.

Forest's Squirtle was standing in front of her trainer, preparing another Water Gun. Forest was glaring at the Team Rocket member, hands clenched in his anger, "Blast that Arcanine again, Shelly!" He spat, and Shelly fired the attack again. The Arcanine released a Flamethrower, vaporizing the Water Gun attack with its sheer power. The fire type pawed the ground nervously, looking back at her trainer, and Red sensed that she didn't want to attack Forest or his Pokemon.

The Rocket member was staring at Forest, uncertainty in his eyes as he looked at the sixteen year old. He didn't order an attack, just watched the glaring boy. He frowned, hesitating as he stared at Forest. Red glanced between them after a moment, realizing that they looked basically identical. They both had the same bright green eyes, messy brown hair, even the same skin tone. They were the same, except for their age.

"Forest, is that you...?" The man asked quietly, looking over Forest's bright green eyes uncertainly. Forest sneered back at the man, trembling in rage.

"Sure is _Dad,"_ He growled in a low voice, drawing out the word 'dad', as if it were an insult, "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Forest snarled sarcastically, twitching, "It's been _years,_ in fact, Dad! Wait, no, _William._ I'd ashamed to ever call you 'father' again!" Forest glared at his Squirtle, "Shelly, Tackle!"

The Squirtle charged forward, withdrawing into her shell as she slammed into the fire type with her Tackle. The Arcanine shrugged off the attack, obviously use to fighting much stronger opponents. Arcanine whimpered as Shelly came around for another attack, she clearly didn't want to be in a battle with Forest's Pokemon. She gracefully dodged the next Tackle, looking at her trainer for instructions, who still seemed stunned to give an order.

Red could only stare at the man, now realizing why the two looked so similar. But if this man was Forest's father... That mean Forest's father was with Team Rocket! Red shivered, remembering when he had first met Professor Oak, how upset he had seemed by the Team Rocket symbol.

"It seems your grandfather has had plenty of time to turn you against me," William said, and he snapped his fingers, "Arcanine, Flamethrower."

Despite her hesitancy to attack, she sprang right at Shelly as a command was given, releasing a jet of fire from the back of her throat. Despite her resistance, Shelly let out a cry as she was engulfed in the powerful flames, and Aiden watched in horror.

"Char!" He cried, as the flames died down.

Forest snorted, "'Arcanine'? Not even using their names anymore? Just like a true Rocket! And don't blame Gramps for anything! You're the one that left us! You're the one joined Team Rocket! We didn't turn against you- you turned against us! Shelly, Water Gun again!"

The burnt Squirtle groaned, firing another Water Gun. William sighed, and signaled his Arcanine to attack once more, "Char!" Aiden screamed as the powerful Arcanine prepared another Flamethrower. The lizard ran forward, diving in front of Shelly as the burst of fire was release. The Flamethrower hit him instead of the Squirtle, and even being a fire type himself, the Charmeleon yet out a shriek as he was hit.

"Squirtle squirt!" Shelly cried, and Aiden let out a hiss at the Arcanine as the attack ended. He was down on all fours, tail swinging side to side in anger, embers flying from the tip of his tail. His claws dug angrily into the ground, then he started advancing on the Arcanine.

"Char..." He snarled, baring his teeth, which were now covered in flames.

"Aw..." William cooed at Aiden, "Did I attack your girlfriend?"

Aiden flashed him a disgusted look, as if horrified by this suggestion, then sprang at the Arcanine, sinking his Fire Fang into the mane of fur on her neck. The attack didn't seem to hurt her though, she simply flicked off Aiden with a single shake. The fire from Aiden's attack seemed to be drawn to her, her whole body glowing as she absorbed the fire.

"Her ability is Flash Fire, you idiot!" Forest cried at Red, "Using fire attacks on the Arcanine will only make her stronger! And stay _out _of this, this battle is personal!" Forest grabbed another Pokeball, "Peter, Quick Attack!" Forest cried, releasing his Pidgey. The small bird sped forward, surrounded in a silvery light, slamming into the Arcanine.

"Crunch," William said, and Arcanine's teeth gleamed with a dark aura, and she snapped her jaws up, catching the Pidgey in his retreat. Peter let out a pained squawk, and Arcanine threw him to the side, fainted with a single hit, "You've come all the way from Pallet Town and yet none of your Pokemon are evolved? I'm actually kind of disappointed," He scanned Forest, then his Squirtle, who was still struggling to her feet. Burns covered her slick body and her shell was charred. Aiden was next to the water type, claws gently around her shell as he supported her to help her stand. The force of concern coming from Aiden hit Red hard, making him grunt. Shelly clearly meant a lot to him.

"Mel..." He cooed at her, running the back of his claws across her face worryingly. Shelly was panting, leaning against Aiden for support. It didn't just seem to be this battle that had worn her out, and Red wondered how Forest trained his Pokemon.

"A Squirtle too... Related to Myrtle, I'm guessing? So did you choose a Squirtle because Pops started with one, or did he not give you a choice...?" William mused, "I could see him forcing a starter on you..."

Forest clenched his fists, "I chose her so I could handle your stupid Arcanine," He hissed, "Shelly, Water Gun again!"

"Char!" Aiden cried in protest, but the wounded Squirtle stumbled forward anyways. She fired another Water Gun, but it was simply vaporized with yet another Flamethrower from the Arcanine. The Arcanine pawed at the ground, whimpering, looking between Forest and William. Aiden advanced on the Arcanine, and Red shivered at the anger coming from his starter.

Red knew that Aiden had been close to the other lab Pokemon, seeing how he and Kiku had acted around each other, but Aiden seemed even closer to Shelly. The anger pouring from the Charmeleon made it quite clear that he wasn't happy with neither Forest nor William with how the Squirtle was being treated in this battle. Aiden let out a low snarl, and he became surrounded in a bright blue, crackling energy. Red blinked, that was the same strange move he had used back on the bridge.

"Dragon Dance..." William muttered as he watched the attack, and Aiden leapt up, his claws turning a deep silver with Metal Claw, "Take Down!" He ordered, and his Arcanine ran at Aiden head on, slamming her head into Aiden's chest, sending the worn lizard flying. The Arcanine flinched as the recoil washed over her, but she kept her eyes trailed on Aiden as he landed roughly on the ground. He groaned, pushing himself back to his feet, eyes glancing at Shelly, then flickering up towards Red.

"Mele..." He said, stumbling back towards the battle, despite the bruises covering him.

"Crunch on the Squirtle," William said, not concerned about Aiden, and the Arcanine turned, charging at Shelly, fangs gleaming with dark energy. Squirtle quickly withdrew inside of her shell, and Forest reached for another Pokeball, releasing a small yellow shape. The Abra grabbed the Squirtle's shell, glowing, and teleporting away and the Arcanine snapped at empty air. She growled, turning as Forest's Pokemon reappeared behind her. Her teeth gleamed with Crunch again, and she charged at them, attacking the Abra in her frustration.

Red shivered as he watched the Abra got recalled, so far every time the Arcanine hit a Pokemon with Crunch it was knocked out right away. He looked worryingly at Aiden, who was stumbling back towards the Arcanine, ignoring his injuries. Red then shifted his gaze to Tempest, who was scanning the entire battlefield with her small coppery eyes narrowed. Aiden was in no shape to dodge an attack, even with the energy of the 'Dragon Dance', as William had called it, running through him.

"An unevolved Squirtle and Pidgey," William commented, "And an Abra, a Pokemon that can't even attack! What's next? A Magikarp?"

Forest gritted his teeth, glancing at his worn Squirtle. He flinched, grabbing his final Pokeball, tossing it into the air, "Ron, Bite!" He cried, voice strained. A small purple figure came out of the Pokeball, blinking in surprise as he realized he was in a battle. The little Pokemon darted forward in excitement, teeth gleaming with a similar energy than the Crunch, but clearly not as powerful. The Arcanine intercepted the small Pokemon charging at her, sinking her Crunch into it's tiny form.

And like with every other Pokemon so far, Crunch knocked it out right away.

William burst out laughing as Forest recalled the Pokemon, "A Rattata? A _Rattata?_ You bothered catching a weak little Rattata?! What are you, a grunt? That's even worse than a Magikarp, because that least Magikarp evolves into something useful!"

"Shut up," Forest hissed, angry pouring from him, "Just shut up!" He screamed, "Shelly, forget the Arcanine! Use Tackle on him!"

"Squirt?!" Shelly cried, clearly shocked at this order. Arcanine immediately ran in front of William, snarling protectively. Fire poured from her mouth, eyes narrowed defensively. Red shivered, feeling the rising tension coming from the Pokemon. Even the wild Pokemon in the surrounding forest were uneasy.

"Char!" Aiden charged at the Arcanine, claws gleaming with his Metal Claw. Arcanine turned, halting her Flamethrower and running forward with a Take Down at Aiden. The force of her blow sent Aiden flying back near Red. The fire type slammed into the ground, whimpering in pain. He tried to stand, but he had taken too many hits. His limbs trembled in his attempts to get to his feet, tears of frustration lining his blue eyes.

"Finish off that annoying Charmeleon with a Crunch," William sighed, snapping his fingers. Arcanine let out a bark, charging at Aiden with her teeth gleaming. Red shivered, memories coming over him; a sleek white shape coming at him, his gleaming claws aimed for his back, it's teeth sinking into Red's neck...

The Arcanine bore down on Aiden just as Red ran forward. She reared up, pulling back to strike as Red threw himself between the Arcanine and his starter. Aiden's eyes widened in horror as he watched the Arcanine sink her teeth into Red's raised arm, breaking through his jacket and right into his flesh. The Crunch attack sent a wave of pain and memories coursing through Red, and his lips parted, a scream escaping from him.

The Arcanine froze as she heard the scream, realizing that she had attacked Red instead of Aiden. She quickly released Red's arm from her jaws, blood dripping from her maw as she stumbled away in shock. Tempest, who had been clinging to Red's shoulder as he had ran, now peered down at her wounded trainer's arm. The Crunch had ripped through Red's jacket and shirt, and the teeth had gone straight through the skin. Though it was hard to see with the red jacket, the bite marks were bleeding.

"Char!" Aiden cried, horrified at Red had received the blow instead of him.

"Well..." William muttered, "That was incredibly stupid of you."

Red cradled his wounded arm, putting pressure near his shoulder, hoping to stop the bleeding. A fear rose up in him as the pain ran through him, body instantly bracing for more. Tears fell down his face, but he hadn't made noise since the scream. Aiden managed to crawl towards Red, whimpering. Tempest leapt off of Red's shoulder, cheeks sparking at the Arcanine in rage, while Forest simply stared at Red in shock.

"Barney, Dragon Rush!" A voice snarled from the sky, and an orange shape dove down, draped in a harsh blue light. A familiar Dragonite slammed into the Arcanine just as she looked up to locate the voice, and she was launched back. The Dragonite landed, letting out an angry roar as the Arcanine crashed into a tree. The blow knocked her out immediately, and she collapsed to the ground, and William stared at his fallen fire type.

"Char!"

"Squirt!"

Shelly and Aiden let out excited cries at the sight of the Dragonite, who turned and smiled at them gently. The jolly Dragonite's gaze quickly turned cold again as he whipped around to face William, and the Dragonite snarled, baring his teeth. Red had seen this Dragonite before, but with the rage pouring from him it seemed like a whole new Pokemon.

"Good job, Barney," Professor Oak said, as his Shiny Pidgeot swooped down from the sky into the clearing. He hopped off of her back, clutching a messenger bag with one hand, and a Pokeball in the other. In the short time Red had know the professor, he had never seen the older man look so angry. His thick eyebrows were narrowed, and his bright green eyes gleamed with rage. His glowered at William as if he were the devil himself.

"Bah!" Barney growled, fists crackling with electricity.

"I told you to stay away from my grandchildren, but here you are with Forest" Professor Oak whispered, though his voice carried across the whole clearing, "And now I find you attacking a child? Give me one reason why I shouldn't let Barney Fire Blast you right now, William."

* * *

**So Aiden knows Dragon Dance. That's an egg move Charmander can learn inherit from either Gyarados, Dragonite, Haxorus, Altaria, or the Kingda line. I'll give you one guess on who Aiden's father is... (Well, it's already been mentioned in the story, but it's been awhile now... xD)**

**So William makes an appearance! Along with Oak and Forest! Let's just get Citrine down here and it will be an Oak family reunion!**

**And Red decides to throw himself between the Arcanine and Aiden... Which results in a less than happy Professor Oak, don't attack humans around him. (It's kind of ironic, since Forest just ordered his Squirtle to attack William... But there's a difference when an angry teen orders a small Squirtle to Tackle someone and a criminal's giant fire dog biting a teen and breaking the skin...)**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm alive!**

**This chapter shouldn't have been this late, I'm so sorry... But I got writer's block while working on it, then a bunch of stuff happened in my life that prevented me from working on my stories... But I'm back!**

**During that time, however, I was able to do an edit on chapter one, just updating it and making it flow better. I might edit the next few chapters too, but for now I'm going to focus on moving this story forward.**

**Enjoy chapter 12 everyone! :)**

* * *

"_Pi..."_

_The small Pichu was making her way through the Viridian Forest, crawling over fallen logs, and darting around the thick trees. Her cheeks sparked in frustration as she tried to find a forest Pokemon to battle. She had the strongest move in all of her colony, and so the other Pichu wouldn't battle with her anymore, and of course the older Pikachu wouldn't battle a young Pokemon like her in a serious match that craved._

_Storm clouds rumbled overhead, thunder echoing across them. The Pichu looked up, surprised that no rain had fallen yet. The dark clouds had been gathered overhead for some time now, yet not a single drop of water had come. The Pichu's tail twitched as a humid scent filled the air, knowing that she should probably head back to the nest before the truly storm hit. She didn't want to get lost in an unfamiliar part of the woods, and she knew that the forest Pokemon probably wouldn't want to have a battle in the rain._

"_Chu..." She muttered, upset that she hadn't gotten a good battle today. She wasn't quite sure what drove her hunger for battle, but ever since she had discovered 'the move' that she knew she had potential. Volt Tackle was a powerful attack, even stronger than leader's Wild Charge! But no one knew how she had it, she had simply hatched and it felt as natural as a Thundershock. According to her colony though it wasn't normal to have an attack that strong, powerful moves came by experience, nothing else._

_The Pichu's parents had often told her of 'the orb', a bright electric-yellow sphere that they had found outside their nest after a storm. They had kept the orb close, admiring it's beauty and the electric energy it radiated. It had been nestled near her egg, and her parents said that perhaps it's influence that given her the powerful move. The Pichu didn't know if that was true or not, she remembered little of the orb- leader had it thrown out after what it had seemed to do to her._

_Pichu turned around, small nose twitching as she tried to retrace her steps home. That's when _it _happened._

_A bolt of lightning arced down from the sky, racing down between the trees and striking the earth in front of her with a bright flash and a loud _bang! _The Pichu recoiled, covering her eyes until the brightness of the light faded. More thunder rumbled overhead and she dared to look to see what the lightning had hit. But the earth wasn't scorched like she had expected, but instead a large being stood before her._

_The bright yellow Pokemon towered over her, glaring at down at the small Pichu with a pair of red eyes. It was covered in harsh black stripes like an Arcanine, and billowing gray-violet fur covered the mighty Pokemon's back. The Pichu stared up at the creature, shaking slightly in awe as she stared as his long, sharp teeth. This being radiated power, electricity sparking from it's fur, large claws digging into the ground. She quivered in excitement- this would be the perfect Pokemon to battle!_

"_Chu!" Pichu screamed, releasing a Thundershock towards the electric beast. Her small sparks didn't even make the creature flinch, it just watched her. Gulping, the Pichu threw herself forward into her most powerful Volt Tackle, electricity engulfing her as she charged straight at the Pokemon, slamming into him. He was like a boulder, unmoving as the Pichu unleashed her attack, the force of it sending her back while he was unaffected. She whimpered as the recoil of Volt Tackle washed over her, a small price for a powerful move._

'_You have courage, small one,' The creature said, speaking for the first time. His voice was calming like the sound of falling rain, 'I have traveled far to seek you.'_

"_Pi?" The Pichu asked, stumbling to her feet. The creature padded over to her, standing above her. He lowered his head so he was at eye level, and the Pichu tilted her head to the side._

'_Yes, you,' The creature told her, 'My name is Raikou.'_

"_Pichu?" Pichu muttered, the name meaning nothing to her. He let out a chuckle that sounded a low rumble of thunder._

'_You wish to be strong, correct?' Raikou asked the Pichu. For a being that radiated such power, he seemed to be gentle. _

"_Chu," Pichu nodded, cheeks sparking in excitement at the mere thought. She looked up at this 'Raikou', wondering how he knew this. She sniffed at his large claws, he smelled like a rainstorm._

_Raikou pressed his head against the Pichu, who went stiff. She felt a strange energy radiating from him, one that made her hold still. The power washed over her, and she couldn't help but hold her breath as she absorbed his energy. He drew his head back, watching her closely for a moment._

'_One day,' He told her, 'You will become strong, and you shall battle under a powerful trainer,' He promised, and the little's Pichu's eyes went wide, gleaming hopefully as he said this. She had heard about trainers, but her colony lived far from the human trails that went through the forest, 'But that time is not now. You have power, so seek wisdom so you may guide the trainer that you will have. Then when the time is right you shall become strong like you desire.'_

_Raikou pulled his head back, slowly rising. The small Pichu was watching him with big eyes, clearly bursting with happiness at what this powerful being had promised her. Raikou seemed to smile down at the young Pokemon as he stood up, then looking up towards the stormy sky. He lowered himself to the ground, then he leapt into the air just as a bolt of lightning arced down, striking him. The lightning was gone just as quickly as it had struck, taking Raikou with it. As soon as the flash from the lightning was gone, a rumble of thunder ran across the clouds, and the rain came pouring down._

_The small Pichu stared up at the sky, coppery eyes blinking rapidly as the rain fell. Once again she was shaking in excitement at the being she had just saw and what he had promised. She would be strong... She let out a joyful cry, she was going to be powerful!_

_A bright glow engulfed the little Pichu, just as suddenly as the storm. The electric type began to change as the light enveloped her, flat ears becoming tall and thin, and her small tail growing into a longer zigzagging shape. Her body began to grow in size, her frame becoming sleek and muscular. When the evolutionary light faded the small Pichu was gone, now a young Pikachu in her place._

_The Pikachu blinked a few times, before glancing over her new form. She had a long zigzagging tail that was topped with a heart-shaped curve. Her long ears flicked up, testing their new form. She flexed her front paws, fascinated with how they looked. She had heard of evolution, but never before had the Pikachu seen one of her own kind go through the process. She sparked her cheeks, impressed by the new power than ran through her. Was this the energy that the Raikou had given her, or simply a byproduct of her evolution?_

_Either way she didn't care. Her evolution would now prove to her colony that she was no longer a little hatchling that needed to be taken care off, but she was a powerful Pikachu that they should respect. With her tail held high, the newly evolved Pikachu took off through the stormy forest, racing home._

* * *

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't let Barney Fire Blast you right now, William," Professor Oak said quietly, voice frigid with a foreign coldness as he spoke to his son. Red shivered, holding his injured arm from the Arcanine's Crunch attack, warm blood starting to spread across his sleeve. Tempest was standing in front of him protectively, sparking her cheeks at William. Red flinched at the sight of the electricity, and the Charmeleon in lap tensed, watching the mighty Dragonite that was standing in front of Professor Oak.

William stared at his father for a moment, blinking, "You're here too?" He asked, surprised, and after a moment a lax smile spread across his face, "Is Citrine coming as well? I didn't know that there was going to be a full family reunion! Has mother suddenly decided she wanted me back too or something?" He laughed, clearly not fearful of Professor Oak's threat, and he smirked at Barney, "You wouldn't hurt me though, would you big guy?"

The Dragonite tensed, then snarled at William, "_Bah!"_ Spit flew from the dragon type's jaws, shaking with rage. Red shuddered at the anger that was radiating from Barney, almost a feral, yet protective rage, so powerful that Red wasn't even sure he could redirect it with his powers if he tried. Red closed his eyes, shaking as blood rolled down his arm, and Aiden nudged him in worry. The Charmeleon was still weak from the Arcanine's brutal attacks, but that didn't stop him from trying to comfort his trainer. At the edge of the clearing, not far from them, a small shape peered out of the bushes, it's gaze on Red, shivering as it sensed the mixed emotions coming from him.

Professor Oak glanced at Barney, then shifted his angry green eyes back to his son, "Why don't I lay this out for you? That Charmeleon and Squirtle you just had Maggie attack, those are Barney's children, he's very protective of them," Professor Oak crossed his arms, "Just like a real father, he cares for his children, and it's only my command that's keeping him away from you right now for hurting them."

William sighed, seemingly unconcerned, but he did now seem a tad bit wary of the Dragonite, "If that comment about fathers was suppose to make me feel guilty or something, then it's not working," William looked at Forest, a strange look crossing his face, hesitating, "I do care about Forest and Citrine-"

"_Shut up!"_ Forest screamed at him, fists curled, "Don't you dare! Don't you dare for one minute pretend that you care about us! You left us! You left us for Rocket! You left us for your stupid drinks! A bottle of beer was more important to you than we were!"

"Pika!" Tempest growled, sparking her cheeks again. She was still standing in front of Red, ears back and tail held high. Her small paws kept shifting, clearly not sure of what to do. She had never seen Professor Oak before, but he didn't seem to be a threat, even though he clearly had a relationship with William. Red shifted, arm quietly throbbing with in pain. The small figure in the bushes shifted as well, slowly stepping out from the safety of the forest and into the clearing.

"Forest," Professor Oak said stiffly, "Leave Will... leave _this man _to me, please get Red back to Cerulean, he's hurt."

"You guys act as if I'm the one that left. You're the one that kicked me out, Pops," William began.

"_I wasn't going to let a _Rocket _near my grandchildren!"_ Professor Oak snarled at William, "Don't you dare blame this on me, William!" Barney let out a low growl, his tail swinging back and forth.

William pulled a Pokeball from his pocket, recalling his fainted Arcanine without a word. He watched his father for a moment with narrowed eyes, who was tensed up as if expecting a fight. Then William pulled out another Pokeball, throwing it up into the air, "Aurora Beam," He ordered, releasing a Tentacruel.

"A poison type, huh?" Professor Oak snorted as he scanned the large water type that had materialized before them, "Just like a true Rocket," He said, his voice echoing Forest's earlier, "Barney, Fire Blast it."

Barney lowered himself onto all fours, heating up the back of his throat. He then released a giant fire-pointed burst of flames from his mouth. The wall of fire rushed at the Tentacruel, who had fired a glimmering beam of frozen energy at Barney. The Fire Blast melted through the Aurora Beam with ease, still rushing forward and hitting the Tentacruel in the side. The water type let out a long call as he was scorched by the flames, his rubbery skin charred black from the Fire Blast. Quivering, the Tentacruel pushed itself up with its tentacles, slowly preparing another Aurora Beam.

"Ouch..." William muttered as he watched his Pokemon, clearly startled by how much the fire type move had done to his water type.

"Did you honestly expect to have a chance to beat me?" Professor Oak asked quietly, "Though for a moment I was afraid that you were going to send out Melody's little Meowth," He shook his head, "Barney, Dragon Dance into a Thunder Punch, finish off that Tentacruel."

Barney became surrounded in a crackling blue energy, the same move that Aiden had used earlier. Barney then rushed forward, taking to the air, the blue energy still swirling around him as he picked up speed. The Dragonite clenched short claws, electricity sparking around his fists. The Tentacruel tried scampered back in his panic, tentacles digging into the dirt as it attempted to pull back, but without a proper water source there wasn't much the large creature could do. Barney smashed his electrified fists into the water type with a roar. The Tentacruel was sent flying back from the blow, knocked out immediately, electricity still sparking around it's body. William's mouth twitched, but he didn't seem surprised as he recalled his Pokemon.

"Woah..." Forest muttered, stunned at the power that Barney had. The dragon type had sleek and swift movements, clearly showing that he had seen many battles. The Dragonite wheel around, landing in front of Professor Oak with a snort, folding his wings. Barney definitely didn't act like the quirky Dragonite that always hugged everyone back at the lab, but carried himself as a being that demanded respect. Aiden watched his father with wide eyes, which were gleaming with excitement, despite the Charmeleon's worn state.

"You are sure powerful, Pops, that much hasn't changed..." William muttered, shaking his head, "Even at your age you could probably make it far in Rocket with Pokemon that strong. Probably even farther with your knowledge-"

The professor stiffened, cutting off William, "My research will never go near Rockets again," Professor Oak hissed, quivering, and Red couldn't help but pause as he heard the word 'again'.

Red gritted his teeth, arm still aching, drawing his attention away from the battle as William released a Pinsir. Even with the powerful bug type in front of them, Red looked down at his bitten arm. It wasn't bleeding as heavily now, but it still throbbed, bringing a few tears to his eyes. Red forced himself to take deep breaths, quietly telling himself that he was okay. The Arcanine was defeated, he wasn't going to be hurt again, it was over now. As he tried to calm himself the small creature that had been watching him from the bushes fully emerged, heading towards Red. The Pokemon wobbled towards Red, it's yellow head swaying with each step as it approached the human. It paused as it reached Red's side. It stared up at him, clearly in tune with the emotions coming from him.

"Vice Grip!" William snapped, and the Pinsir sprang forward, clamping its horn-like pincers around one of Barney's arms. To which the Dragonite replied with a Thunder Punch right to the bug type's face, without even waiting for a command from the professor.

Aiden, though weakened, raised his head, letting out a low growl at the plant-like Pokemon that was coming towards them. It blinked a few times, then darted around so it was standing in front of Red. He watched the Pokemon for a minute, she had large leaves for arms, and roots for feet. The Bellsprout couldn't seem to hold still, almost dancing as she swayed side to side, balancing on a different foot every few seconds.

The Bellsprout hopped up onto Red's knee, trying to look at his arm. Red hesitated, then slowly moved his hand away, allowing the grass type to peer at his bitten arm. The Bellsprout stared at the wound for a minute, then she pressed closer. Her large head swelled slightly as if she had taken in a deep breath, then she released a small plume of blue spores, covering Red's wound.

He shivered as the Sleep Powder hit the bite, sending a tingling sensation up his arm. Aiden pulled back, knowing that he would be put to sleep if he inhaled the spores. A shiver of relief rushed down Red's back as the Sleep Powder settled on his arm, the throbbing pain slowly fading away. He hesitated, prodding his now-numb arm with a finger. The Bellsprout nodded, small head bobbing. She then jumped off of Red's lap, and began swaying back and forth in front of them, "Bell, bell, bell..." She sang, alternating what foot she was standing on with each call.

William had just withdrawn his Pinsir, which Barney had defeated with a Fire Blast while the Bellsprout had attended to Red. William's hand twitched as he slipped the Pokeball into his pocket, watching his father with narrowed green eyes. It was quite clear that Professor Oak was no beginner when it came to battles, and that William wouldn't be able to defeat the professor's Dragonite alone even with his whole team. Forest was watching the battle between his father and grandfather, his wounded Squirtle lying forgotten in his arms. William had just pulled out a fourth Pokeball, expanding it.

"You know you can't beat me," Professor Oak said, "Stand down."

"And let you have the satisfaction of turning me in?" William asked, "If I'm going down against you, then it's going to be by fighting," He threw the Pokeball up, releasing a sleek, cream-colored cat, "Persian, use Slash!"

Red's eyes widened.

"Barney, hit it with a Dragon Rush," Professor Oak ordered, sweeping his hand to the side, clearly wanting to finish off the battle quickly, but the Dragonite didn't move. The dragon type had been ready to tear apart William moments before, but now the orange beast stood as still as a statue, as if he hadn't heard his trainer's orders. Professor Oak frowned, "Barney, use Dragon Rush," He repeated, but his Dragonite only started to tremble.

"Squirtle squirt!" Shelly cried, quickly withdrawing into the safety of her shell. Forest fumbled to keep ahold of the shell, which was now violently shaking in his grip.

They weren't the only Pokemon who had gone still, William's Persian was stiff, fur on her back raised up in alarm. William shot a glare at the normal type, clearly not use to having a Pokemon ignore his orders. The Persian suddenly let out a yowl, sinking to the ground, cowering, claws digging into the dirt. Barney stumbled, as if fighting against an unseen force, scales rattling.

"Chu..." Tempest muttered lowering her tail and glancing around, it seemed she was the only Pokemon in the area that wasn't affected by the sudden wave of fear. Professor Oak's shiny Pidgeot had tucked her head under her wing, feathers ruffled in fright. The Bellsprout's leaves were curled, roots writhing in fear as she collapsed to the ground. Other wild Pokemon were starting to come into view as well, Pidgeys taking to the air, wildly flapping their wings as they attempted to flee. Several Oddish stumbled out of the bushes, scattering in a confused panic, falling to the ground, cowering.

But of all the Pokemon, Aiden was the worst. The fire type had curled up, claws digging into Red's pant legs, fire flickering uncontrollably. He was petrified, eyes wide as they stared into nothingness. He writhed on the ground, pure terror written across the young Pokemon's face as he attempted to flee, yet the fear seemed to keep him from moving. His jaw was flexing as if attempting to call out, but no sound came from him.

But none of the Pokemon could compare to Red.

All color had drained away from the teen's face, skin paler than a ghost type as drops of sweat rolled down his skin. His pupils had dilated, tears of fear slowly starting to take form within his scarlet eyes as he drew his legs up, arms wrapping around himself. His gaze was glued to the Persian, lips trembling as small whimpers gurgled up from his throat, his body unable to vocalize the pure terror it was feeling, the terror it was radiating to the Pokemon around him. His bleeding and bitten arm was forgotten as his arms rose to cover the back of his scarred neck.

"Persian, I said use Slash!" William snapped as his Persian, who hadn't moved an inch since she had been released. A small cry escaped from Red's mouth as he collapsed to the ground, whole form quaking uncontrollably, with Aiden writhing next to him. His eyes were far off and unfocused, lost in another time. The small cry came from him again, only this time building up into a scream.

Professor Oak's eyes swept across the clearing, eyes quickly taking in all the Pokemon who were starting to cower in fear, before his gaze settled on Red. Any anger that was in older man's eyes drained away as he watched the boy he had rescued.

"Red?" He asked quietly.

But Red didn't respond, he didn't even hear the professor's concerned voice. He was still staring straight at William's Persian, who was twisting about with his fear, but Red didn't seem to notice. Within Red's mind a vision was unfolding- a dark room, a sleek shape slinking through the shadows, red gem gleaming in the limited light.

Sweat clung to his clothes as he trembled, struggling to take in a gasp of breath. Aiden's claws wrapped around his trainer, completely consumed in the panic radiating from Red as the memory in his mind took hold of his realty.

In his mind small sparks of electricity crackled across the Persian's fur, his cruel eyes focused right on Red. Saliva escaped from Red's mouth as the memory engulfed him, tears fallings. The Persian within his mind was baring down on him as a deep voice gave an order, discharging electricity as it jaws locked around the back his neck, forcing him to the ground. He could feel the claws digging into his back as if it were happening right now, the sound of his own scream filling the air as he pleaded for it to stop-

"Persian, return," William spat, recalling the normal type with a flash of light. The two simple words seemed to snap Red out of the flashback, and his hold on the Pokemon faded away. One by one the creatures were drawn out of the trance that the terror had immobilized them in, slowly looking around the clearing as if they didn't know how they had gotten there. Barney was the first one to recover, quickly wheeling around, eyes first settling on Shelly. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw the young Squirtle pulling out of her shell, blinking uncertainly.

Professor Oak's Pidgeot ruffled her feathers, slowly approaching her trainer, looking at him in confusion. The professor stroked the golden eagle, his concerned gaze still focused on Red. The boy blinked a few times, glancing around the clearing uncertainly, eyes still wide with fear. His hands remained wrapped around the back of his neck protectively. He was noticeably shaking as pushed himself into a sitting position. His eyes fell to the ground, staring at the little Bellsprout, who was watching him. Red gulped, closing his eyes, trying to control his ragged breathing.

"C-char..." Aiden whimpered, looking up at Red. Tempest slowly approached her trainer, flicking an ear.

"What happened...?" Forest asked uncertainly. Shelly glanced up at him, blinking her brown eyes, looking just as confused as her trainer.

William glared at Professor Oak, who glanced at him, "Looks like you were right, _Pops, _I can't defeat you," He said, "So what are you going to do now? Drag me off to the police? Lock up your only child?" He asked quietly, almost tauntingly.

"William-"

"I'm really not surprised, you never really wanted me anyways, did you? Neither did mother," He watched Professor Oak with his deep green eyes, "What made you keep me in the first place, guilt? Pity? Doesn't matter now, my Persian couldn't even attack and I know my Fearow couldn't beat Barney. Nothing to stop you now from turning me in."

Professor Oak looked away, clenching his fists. Forest's gaze hardened, "Don't listen to him Gramps, he's trying to-!"

Professor Oak cut off his grandson, "You shouldn't have even been out here," He said quietly, and his gaze flickered back to William for a moment, then to Barney, who shook his head. Professor Oak let out a long sigh, turning his back on his son, looking down at Red, "I have an injured child on my hands to take care of," He finally said, "If you're smart you'll and any Rocket members in the area will be out of these woods before I come back, William."

William smirked, releasing his Fearow, "Ah, I knew I could count on you Pops," He said mockingly as he mounted the flying type. Ava glanced at Forest, before turning her to attention towards her trainer. Barney let out a low growl at Professor Oak, clearly unhappy that they were letting William go. Professor Oak simply closed his eyes as the Fearow took to the air, carrying off William.

Forest wheeled around to face Professor Oak, outrage spread across his face, "Why'd you let him get away!?" He cried, "He was right here, he was-!"

Professor Oak looked at his grandson sharply, "I told you that you could start a journey as long as you didn't seek out your father," He said quietly, "Yet that appears to be the first thing you did, throwing your Squirtle into a battle she couldn't handle in the process. You knew that your Pokemon was young, and you knew that your father was no novice when it came to battles! Not only that, but you were stupid enough to engage a Rocket alone in the woods, then dragging Red into this mess!"

"The kid was the one that followed Da- _William_ out here! Not me," Forest snapped.

Professor Oak looked at Red one more time. The quiet boy was rocking back and forth, wiping away a few stray tears. He was staring down at his hands, still trembling, gulping. The Bellsprout, his Charmeleon, and his Pikachu were gathered around him, letting out concerned whimpers, but he didn't reply.

Ever since he had met the boy, Red had shown nothing by wariness of others, but the reaction he had just had... Professor Oak rarely seen such a raw fear from someone before. Red had always seemed afraid, but what he had just witnessed was true terror, the worse he had seen from the mute boy. Red hadn't just been afraid- he had been shut down by the fear. Professor Oak had only seen that kind of reaction when rehabilitating abused Pokemon. And speaking of the Pokemon, the way they had reacted just barely, as if they had felt the fear themselves...

Professor Oak pulled himself out of his thoughts, glancing at Red's wounded arm. He needed to focus at one thing at a time, "Barney, please pick up Red, we'll need to get that bite properly looked at," Professor Oak hesitated, "Forest, recall your Pokemon and Red's, then take them to the Pokemon Center once we reach Cerulean City," Forest muttered something under his breath, but recalled his Squirtle with a flash of red light, while the Dragonite gently scooped up Red, who flinched at the sudden contact. Professor Oak sighed, but started down the trail that lead back to Cerulean.

* * *

Citrine glanced around as she approached the lab, eyes glancing back and forth nervously. It wasn't like anyone should be suspicious of her wandering around her grandfather's lab, especially in such a small town where people were rarely out, but Citrine was still a tad bit nervous. It was one thing to be going into her grandfather's lab, quite another to be breaking into it.

Well, she wasn't _breaking_ into it, just... sneaking in after her grandfather had locked it up.

But Citrine wanted answers, Professor Oak was keeping something from her, and she was getting sick of the way he was brushing her off and acting like she was a child. She wanted answers, and with Professor Oak out of town for once, she figured this was her chance.

She sighed, "Locking the lab does nothing if you forget to shut the window, Gramps," She muttered to herself, pushing herself up and slipping through the open window Oak always left open in the warm weather. Her feet echoed as she slipped into the quiet lab, carefully stepping about the messy room as not to disturb anything. A glass container glowed faintly with a golden light, Professor Oak's revive experiment. Luckily Barney hadn't knocked this one over- yet.

Citrine flipped on a light switch, unsure of what she was planning on doing. She was tired of her grandfather's attitude. She loved her grandfather, he had taken them in with no complaint and he did his best to raise her and Forest, but... But he never communicated with them. He ran the household like a laboratory, instructions but little affection. She knew that the professor was hiding _something_ and she was determined to find out what. Perhaps it had something to do with her father.

Citrine's heart ached as her thoughts turned to her dad, and anger pounded through her. So what if he had made a few mistakes! Her mom had just died, they were all in mourning, and he had just made a few wrong decisions during a hard time! She was sure her father would have returned along time ago if her grandfather hadn't kicked him out after he had drifted into Team Rocket. Her grandfather had been too harsh on William, and she was determined to bring her father back into her life.

She looked at the stairs that lead to the basement of the lab. There wasn't too much down there, that's where Professor Oak did most of his studying for peace and quiet, but there was also a room where he kept all his files. Perhaps she could find some answers down there to her grandfather's secretive behavior in there, and maybe more on this 'Project M'. She flipped on the light that was on the stairs, and she thought she heard something moving down there. Citrine paused for a half a second, before deciding that it was her imagination.

She didn't pay much attention to what was downstairs as she went down, only heading towards the storage room as soon as she was made it to the last step, she knew that's the room where Gramps kept his files were, though she had never been in there herself.

"Prime..." A low voice growled as Citrine laid her hand on the doorknob to the storage room. She froze, slowly turning around in time to see a very angry Primeape glaring at her.

"Thrash?" She asked, surprised at seeing her grandfather's Pokemon down here, "Why are you out of your Pokeball?!" Professor Oak always went on about how he couldn't control the Primeape. He growled, advancing on Citrine, and she stepped back uncertainly. Thrash had never harmed a human before, but he was still known to be pretty wild...

"Free!" Citrine's Butterfree called swooping in downstairs, he must have followed her in through the window. He fired a Psybeam at the Primeape, hovering in front of Citrine protectively.

"Caleb!" Citrine cried, knowing that the Primeape would only become angrier upon being attacked. The fighting type brushed off where the Psybeam had hit him, not even looking harmed, only annoyed. His fist became outlined in a freezing energy, and the Ice Punch hit the bug type, knocking it out in one hit. Citrine ran up to him, scooping up her Pokemon. The Primeape glared down at her as she held her fallen Pokemon, "I'm leaving, okay!" She spat, "Happy?"

The Primeape snorted, then jumped over so he was blocking the stairs, trapping her downstairs. The fighting type crossed his arms, making it clear that he had no plans on moving, "Ape."

"Are you suppose to keep out thieves or something?" Citrine asked, "Is that why we never see you out on the ranch? If so, I'm not trying to take anything from Gramps, I just want some answers. But if he's going as far as not to even tell me and Forest that you're down here on guard duty then I'll just leave," She returned Caleb to his Pokeball, "You don't have to keep me down here until Gramps gets back," She added, since that seemed like what the Primeape planned on doing, "I'm sure he's mad enough at me for touching his precious file earlier," She gritted her teeth, realizing she was talking more about her frustrations than trying to reason with Thrash, "Let's just pretend this never happened, then we can both move on with our lives."

Thrash snorted at her again in pity, but didn't move. Citrine sighed, the Primeape was just going to do his job, what her grandfather had told him to do. But if he was listening to Gramps, that meant that Professor Oak had lied to her and Forest about not being able to control Thrash. She slipped Caleb's Pokeball into her purse, quietly grabbing another one at the same time, not taking her eyes off of the fighting type.

"So..." Citrine said, sitting down, keeping the Pokeball hidden in her hands, "Gramps rants on about how out of control you are, so I'm guessing that's just a cover story for using you down here as a guard. And since you didn't do anything until I tried opening the storage room I'm guessing that's what you're guarding, right?"

"Prime," The Primeape shrugged, so Citrine took that as a yes.

"And I'm also guessing it's locked, since you are sitting in front of the stairs instead of the door, if it wasn't locked then I'm sure that's what you'd be guarding instead. And since you're at the stairs I'm also guessing your orders are to keep the intruders down here until Gramps comes," She gave him a tight smile, "I'm sure other intruders would probably be in worse shape than me since they aren't related to Gramps."

The Primeape yawned, telling her that he was done with the conversation. Citrine expanded the Pokeball behind her back, thumb over the release button. If Gramps went such great lengths to protect his old data, going as far as not even mentioning it in some form to her then she wasn't going to be remaining trapped down here until Professor Oak got back to find out that she had tried to break into his lab. He had been mad enough when she had found that 'Project M' folder, and she had just been helping him look for it. She wasn't quite sure how'd react to his own granddaughter breaking into his lab, but she didn't want to find out. Thrash was staring up the stairs absentmindedly, and she quickly brought the Pokeball out in front of her.

"Bloom, Sleep Powder now!" She order, releasing her Ivysaur. Thrash quickly sprang to his feet, alert as he heard the sound of a Pokeball opening. An undersized Ivysaur appeared, preparing her Sleep Powder as Thrash came at her with an Ice Punch. She released the spores just as Thrash struck her, and the monkey stumbled back as he inhaled the spores.

Like with her Butterfree, Thrash's attack took out Bloom with one hit. The small Ivysaur groaned as frost began to spread over her budding flower. She tried to stand, but the sheer force of the Primeape as too much for her, and she laid helplessly on the basement floor. But her Sleep Powder had done the job, and Thrash's eyes got heavy. He stumbled towards Citrine, but collapsed on the floor, fast asleep.

"Thank you Bloom," She told the Ivysaur she had found abandoned a few years before. The grass type opened one eye, then closed it again, exhausted. She returned the small Ivysaur to the Pokeball, then stumbled towards the storage room door. She tried the handle, but it was locked, just like she had predicted. Citrine sighed, heading towards the stairs. She took one look at Thrash, who was now snoring, "These are one of the few times I'm glad that Pokemon can't talk," She muttered, knowing that it would be best if Professor Oak didn't know about her trip down here. She hoped that Thrash didn't find some way to pass the message on to him, and she climbed up the stairs, eager to get out of the lab.

* * *

**Just a note, the power that Raikou gave Tempest in the flashback is an immunity to being controlled by Red's powers. This is why Tempest is never affected by Red's emotional waves, even though she can sense his emotions and he can sense hers. So Tempest wasn't super-charged by a legendary or anything, she just can't be controlled.**

**Also, if you're curious on how far I am on the next chapter, just go to my profile page and go to the bottom of my bio. I have a section called "status update", where I'll update about once a week about how far I'm in on a chapter, or mention if something pops up in my life that keeps me from writing, stuff like that.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to have the next one up soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Merry Christmas everyone! :D :D :D (Technically it's still Christmas Eve here... but oh well! Close enough!) And if you guys don't celebrate Christmas, then happy holidays!**

**Thank you for all of the support you've guys have been giving this story, and here's chapter thirteen!**

* * *

"_Haunter, use Will-O-Wisp!" The girl ordered sharply with a smirk. The Haunter in front of her drifted forward, several small blue spheres of fire forming around him. His ghostly hands shot forward, and the flames rushed towards their target._

"_Myrtle," Samuel snapped, "Dodge and knock them back with a Water Pulse!"_

_The Wartortle gave a single nod, jumping back as the flames danced near her. She opened her mouth, a sphere of water forming in front of her. She launched the Water Pulse attack, extinguishing the Will-O-Wisps before they could burn her._

"_Get in close and hit it with a Shadow Punch!" The Haunter darted forward through the steam the Water Pulse had created, one of his floating hands cloaked in shadowy energy. The Wartortle didn't even wait for a command from her trainer, withdrawing into her shell as the punch came at her. The force knocked her back, but she came out of the shell unharmed, "Again," The girl snapped._

_Samuel gritted his teeth, he had battled before, but this girl was relentless, why had he allowed himself to get caught up into this battle? "Jump Myrtle!" He cried as the Haunter closed in with another Shadow Punch. The ghost type looked startled as the turtle-like Pokemon sprang into the air with little effort, "Bite it!"_

_The Wartortle opened her mouth, her jaw gleaming with dark energy. She snapped down on the Haunter's Shadow Punch, the dark energy allowing her to crunch into the ghost's form when normally she should pass right on through. The Haunter cringed as Myrtle released him, allowing her to use Bite once more, this time on his other hand._

_But the Haunter was now ready for her, his free hand raised as his trainer smirked, "Will-O-Wisp it now!" She snapped, and the ghostly flames formed once more, this time landing on the water type. Myrtle let out a shriek as the flames struck her, large burns forming on where they had hit. She released the Haunter falling to the ground. _

"_War..." She whimpered, struggling to her feet, wincing in pain. The burns were limiting her movement, paining her if she pushed herself too far. Samuel knew that her physical skills were limited while in this state, special attacks would work the best here._

"_Water Pulse, you can do this Myrtle!" Samuel called. She gritted her jaw in pain, the burn clearly sapping way her battle power, but still she formed a sphere of water, ready to launch it at the Haunter._

_The girl simply smirked again, "Haunter, use Hex!" She ordered, and the Haunter's eyes started to glow red._

_Samuel now finally understood why she had been so determined to burn Myrtle with the Will-O-Wisp, it wasn't to weaken his Wartortle, but rather to strengthen her own attacks. Paling, Samuel quickly cried out to his Pokemon, "Myrtle, get out of the way!" The water type quickly tried to move, but her burns flared up, causing her to cry out._

_The Haunter drifted forward, ghostly energy swirling around his hands. He fired the Hex attack right at Myrtle, and the glowing strings of energy seemed to target her burns, striking her in her weakest point. The force of the move sent the Wartortle flying, the Hex attack doing much more damage than it normally would due to the burn._

_Samuel held his breath, watching the still form of his Pokemon, "Myrtle?" He asked quietly, and the water type stirred, awake, but too weakened to continue battling. Samuel let out a long sigh, pulling out her Pokeball, "Return girl, you did well," He whispered quietly, recalling her in a flash of red light. He carefully placed her Pokeball into his backpack, keeping his eyes down as the girl approached with her Haunter. He was sure she was going to mock him for his lost, at least that's what the other trainers that had battled her told him._

_But instead she gave him yet another smirk, "Finally," She said, watching him, "Someone that actually was worth my time to battle."_

_Samuel looked up, clearly surprised that she hadn't insulted him, "Everyone says you're ruthless to those you lose to you," He muttered uncertainly._

_The girl laughed as she recalled her Haunter, "No, only to those who are pathetic in battle, a waste of time for me and Haunter. We're taking on the league, we have no time to battle weaklings!" She crossed her arms, "I assume you're doing the league as well, considering your battle strength. You may have lost, but you were no push over."_

_Samuel chuckled, "Me? Take on the league? No, I'm not. I'm out of a journey to learn more about Pokemon, I want to study them. Hopefully in a few years I'll be able to enter a proper facility and work on actually getting a license."_

_The girl looked disappointed. No, she looked _insulted, "_You're telling me that you're going to waste all of that talent I just saw so you can go still in a dusty classroom then get stuck in a dusty lab to read dusty papers?!" She cried._

_Samuel slipped his backpack over his shoulder, snorting, "Waste? Maybe to you, but if you like Pokemon battles so much you should be grateful for people that decide to take the path I'm trying to go down. It's the educated that invented things like Pokeballs and discover the many ways to heal Pokemon. Without that battling wouldn't be anything like it is today!"_

_She glared at him for a second, "What's your name?"_

"_Samuel Oak," He replied after a moment, "And yours?"_

"_I'm Agatha Beckham," She said, still glaring at him, "And if you're just some wannabe researcher, then how is your Wartortle so strong? And evolved?"_

"_I've been with Myrtle since she hatched," Samuel replied stiffly, "I decided to raise my first Pokemon from an egg, not only to observe the process of an egg hatching and a young Pokemon growing, but I wanted to see if a Pokemon's bond is stronger when raised by the trainer. I chose a water type, since that's a Pokemon that can enter deep bodies of water unlike myself, which could help with future research."_

_Agatha shook her head, "So you really are a nerd. And you didn't tell me how she's strong, and don't say that it's only your 'powerful bond' or something, that's not all that drives a Pokemon battle, though I will admit that there must be trust if you want to get anything done in a battle. That's what's wrong with all those weakling trainers, catching the first thing that rustles in the grass and try to use that."_

"_I am not clueless when it comes to battles," Professor Oak said, "Which is why I accepted your battle invitation in the first place. I train Myrtle, and we have battled other trainers. We've taken on a gym as well, just for the experience though," He added when he saw a look enter her eyes._

_She crossed her arms, "What other Pokemon do you have then?"_

_Samuel hesitated, before reaching into his backpack once more, pulling out two more Pokeballs. He released a light blue serpent Pokemon, and a young Pidgey with glittering, golden feathers. Agatha stared at the two Pokemon in front of her, clearly shocked._

"_W-wait-" She stuttered, staring at the little serpentine Pokemon, "I-is that what I think it is..." She whispered._

"_This is Barney," Samuel said with a slight smirk, as if proud that he had surprised her, "He's my Dratini."_

"_You have a dragon type," She muttered, staring at the rare Dratini in admiration and jealousy, and she looked up at him, like she couldn't believe her eyes, "Do you even know how rare those are?! Some people think- thought- that they were extinct here in Kanto!"_

"_Yeah, I know," Samuel said as the Dratini slunk towards him, slithering up his legs before slipping around his neck. The Pidgey threw herself into the air, landing on Samuel's head, "Barney was young when I found him, and I couldn't find any signs of a parent. He's very friendly, a bit too friendly with humans. That's why I was able to catch him," He stroked Barney's head, who let out a happy coo. He then slinked off of Samuel, darting towards Agatha curiously, "That's also why I decided to catch him, I couldn't leave Barney on his own, he's an easy target for poachers. Besides, who'd pass up the chance to study a dragon type!"_

_Agatha seemed like the kind of person to get annoyed with a jolly little Pokemon like this Dratini, but perhaps the rarity of it was enough to make her happily pet the Dratini as he approached, who was now curling up against her leg. The haughty look in her eyes faded, respect taking their place, clearly awed by the little Dratini, "Only study? This guy could evolve into a powerful dragon one day..." She fell silent, lost in her wonder. A hard look then entered her eyes, and she jerked her head to look up at Samuel again, "Don't tell me that you're going to waste such potential for 'studying'!"_

_Samuel sighed, "Look, why don't you raise your Pokemon your way, and I'll raise mine in my own way. I have no interest in pursuing battles, I just want to study Pokemon."_

_She snorted, "Yeah, which is why you only have three Pokemon, though you've been clearly on a journey for sometime," She glanced up, "And a Pidgey? Really? That's not strong or rare, why would you want one? Even for your 'research'."_

_Samuel hesitated, looking up at Aquila, who was still perched on his head. The young Pidgey tucked her head under her wing, and he reached up and stroked her, "I wanted to study her," He hesitated again, "It's kind of hard to see right now... But when you see her with other Pidgeys you can tell that she's clearly different, her feathers are much brighter," He glanced around at the trees above them, then moved out into the sunlight, "Look."_

_The sunlight hit her as he stepped out of the shade, the light reflecting off of her golden feathers, giving the Pidgey an almost glowing appearance. Agatha seemed surprised, but not as fascinated as Samuel had been when he had first saw the Pidgey, "Definitely not your average Pidgey," She finally agreed. Aquila turned away shyly, and Samuel recalled her to a Pokeball._

"_See?" Samuel said as he tucked the Pokeball away into his bag, "There's so much about Pokemon we don't know yet! I want to learn more about them, see what environments they all live in... I would love to be apart of something big, you know?"_

_Agatha simply watched him for a moment, "Well, just imagine how much you could learn though battle," She said, "See how much power they can unlock, see Pokemon at their full strength, learn of the moves they can wield. You can't study that in a lab."_

"_T-true," Samuel said uncertainly, "...But why are so you so driven by battles? I mean, there's nothing wrong with ambitions, but why are you forcing that on me?"_

_She snorted, "Pokemon are for battle," Agatha snapped, "We have the opportunity to become partnered with these great beings, but the average trainer puts that to waste! But then there are people like you- you have the potential to bring out the best in these creatures, but you're willing to throw that away! You've caught perhaps one of the rarest and strongest Pokemon in Kanto, but you act like it's nothing! It's an insult to the Pokemon! See why I just can't stand by? Pokemon are living beings to be elevated, not just specimens to be looked at under a light!"_

_Samuel looked at her for a moment, a smile forming on his face, "I can't help but admire your determination, that's for sure."_

_Agatha didn't seem to know what to make of this statement. She simply stared at the boy, "...You said you've done one gym before. So how about this: you do one more gym. But instead of just for the experience, why don't you... 'study' it?" She spat out the word, "I dunno, see how different a Pokemon is in the heat of battle, or how they adapt, or... something! You're powerful, I can't just let you walk away! So do one more gym battle, and find some way to connect it to your stupid research! You never know, maybe you'll discover a new side to Pokemon or something."_

_Samuel couldn't deny that what she was saying was interesting, but he knew that she was simply trying to get him to battle again. He looked at Barney for a moment, who was now coiling around his arm, "...Fine. I'll do _one _more battle, if that will keep you quiet."_

_Agatha smirked, "Good boy," She said, and Samuel shot her a glare of annoyance, "I've been needing a good rival."_

"_Rival?"_

"_Yes," Agatha snapped, "Someone strong enough to push me but weak enough for me to defeat. You're going to be my rival."_

"_I said I was only doing one-" Samuel began, but she cut him off with a smirk._

"_That's what you say, but I know that battling isn't something that you'll drop," She grinned, "Like I said, you have potential. Someone like that simply can't hate battling."_

_Samuel sighed, not sure of what to make of her philosophies, "Whatever," He muttered._

_Agatha wasn't listening, simply glancing around the area, "Come on boy," She snapped, darting off, "Let's find you something to capture. You're going to need more than three Pokemon!"_

"_Wait!" Samuel called, running after her, "I never said-" But then he simply shook his head, she wouldn't take no for an answer, would she?_

* * *

Professor Oak wasn't quite sure of what the citizens of Cerulean City thought of them, but he was sure that they were the strangest group to enter the city in sometime. Red's Pikachu lead the way, her heart-shaped tail held high, and nose in the air as if she owned the whole town. Of all the Pokemon she seemed to be in the best shape, or perhaps she just didn't let her weariness show. Behind her was Forest, who refused to look back as his grandfather. Forest had his hands stuffed into his pockets, but by the outline you could clearly see that they were clenched into fists.

Aquila, Professor Oak's Pidgeot, was walking right next to Forest, letting out small cooing noises to the boy she had known since the day he was born. The shiny Pidgeot tried to preen Forest's messy hair with her beak, but he pulled away from the golden eagle, giving her a glare, green eyes dark and stormy.

Professor Oak sighed as he watched his grandson, but held his tongue. Both of them were still tense from encountering William, and it was probably best to wait until they were calmer before saying anything. The professor glanced over at Barney, who was still carrying Red in his scaly arms. While the boy was capable of walking, he still seemed to be recovering from fear that had overtook him back in the clearing, staring off as if lost in thought. The boy offered no complaint, just sat stiffly in the Dragonite's grip, holding his Charmeleon's Pokeball in one hand, while the other was wrapped around his injured arm.

Trailing behind them was a small Bellsprout, who was wobbling on her feet-like roots, trying to keep up with the humans' broad steps. A half smile crawled up onto the professor's face for a moment, humored by variety within their small group. But the small smile quickly faded as more important thoughts overshadowed his mind.

The professor shifted his messenger bag, which was slung over one shoulder. He had come out here for a reason, and he really wasn't one to get distracted, but this was far more important at the moment. Besides, it wasn't like chasing Team Rocket out was a waste of time, it was better if they weren't around Bill's place. So even if he was a bit late with delivering the files to Bill, this was better off in the long run.

"Forest," Professor Oak said hesitantly, and his grandson turned, glaring back at him. He obviously was still upset about letting William walk away free. The professor took a deep breath, tone hardening to a more commanding voice, "You're going take Red's Pokemon and yours to the center, and don't leave until all of them are fully recovered. Today they were pitted against an opponent they couldn't defeat, and I hope you'll use this as a reminder of not to run into battles that you can't handle. Meanwhile, I'm going to take Red to the doctor clinic here, to get his arm treated."

"Hmph," Forest muttered, glancing at Red's Pikachu. She stuck her nose in the air, trotting past him and towards Red. She quietly scaled Barney's broad form, climbing over his shoulder and landing on Red's chest. Despite the boy stiffening, she curled up, pressing herself against him, a content rumble forming in the back of her throat. Red watched her for a moment, then recalled her to a Pokeball. He held his two Pokeballs in his hands for a moment, and Barney placed him on his feet.

Forest, without looking at Professor Oak, approached Red with a harsh glare. The boy pulled back, bumping into Barney, eyes wide. Forest snatched the two Pokeballs from Red's hands, storming off to the Pokemon Center without another word. Professor Oak sighed, massaging his head, "He'll be over all of this in a few minutes... Aquila, please go with him."

"Pid," The Pidgeot cooed, opening her large golden wings and springing into the air. She soared after Forest, gliding relatively low for a creature her size. Professor Oak watched her and his grandson for a moment, before looking down at his feet. Forest had gotten this far on his own, he'd be just fine... But still, recklessly running after William like that... Barney pressed close to his trainer as he muttered under his breath.

"What am I going to do with that boy..." Professor Oak shook his head, and turned to Red, "I'm sorry you had to get all caught up in this," He told the boy, who simply shrugged, not making eye contact with the professor. Oak gently placed a hand on Red's shoulder, "Come on, let's go get that bite taken care of, we shouldn't ignore it any longer."

The boy looked up at him for a moment, then gave the professor a short nod of agreement, looking away once more. He was still carefully holding his arm, not at the wound, by higher at the shoulder, as if trying to stop the bleeding. Professor Oak frowned at the boy, the researcher in him observing every little action he made. The professor wasn't quite sure of what this boy's connection to Rocket was, but he had his theories. His mouth twitched as he thought back to the battle with William, how all of the Pokemon had suddenly frozen up...

The professor shook his head, focusing his thoughts as they headed towards the small doctor clinic located here in Cerulean. Professor Oak was sure the only reason one was located here was so it could be close to the capital, Saffron. The professor wished that the clinics were more branched out, but who'd want to work in a small town like Pallet? With crime rates rising in Kanto thanks to Rocket, big cities were the place to be. Maybe not the safest, but definitely the most secured.

* * *

Red twisted his red cap about in his hands, slowly trying to gather his thoughts. Professor Oak was talking to a woman at the counter of the small clinic he had taken Red too, looking quite frustrated. While trying to appear warm and welcoming, Red hadn't been able to ignore the tense atmosphere that had taken ahold of the professor ever since encountering his son. The young boy sighed after a moment, placing the hat back on his head, wishing that Aiden was here.

He felt vulnerable without his Pokemon, even Tempest, who sometimes felt like a threat herself. It was strange, he had gone his whole life without carrying Pokemon with him until few weeks ago, but now he didn't know what to do without them here. Red subconsciously touched his wounded arm, which was no longer bleeding, just a faint throb. The Crunch attack hadn't been deep, the Arcanine had no intentions of truly hurting him, he had sensed that. Red wasn't even sure if this trip to the doctor was needed, he only saw doctors when he had serious injuries. While not delightful or anything, Red wouldn't consider this bite serious.

"Of course the doctor's out of town," The professor muttered as he walked away from the counter, sighing, and the woman went off to one of the back rooms, "Then again not surprising, he's probably been called out to Pewter or something..." Professor Oak gave him a tight smile, "Don't worry though, the nurse should be just fine with treating that bite."

Red didn't reply, and the professor looked away, stroking his Dragonite. The townsfolk had seemed quite startled at the sight of the powerful Pokemon, but Barney was just back to his sweet self that Red had met at the lab. The dragon type was currently nuzzling the professor, emitting powerful waves of happiness, though there were a few suppressed ones of frustration, which Red was sure was linked to William.

Red shuddered as his thoughts turned back to the clearing. Three times he had encountered Rocket since he had ran... Though twice they hadn't known who he was, which was good.

"So Forest says you're the one that started the fight with William," Professor Oak said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. The older professor wasn't looking directly at him, but Red could see that that he was watching him from the corners of his bright green eyes.

Red hesitated, yes, he was the one that had first encountered William, and his Pokemon had been prepared to fight, but Forest had been the one to suddenly show up and attack. Red had just been trying to retreat, his Pokemon had been no shape to fight.

Professor Oak turned, looking at him straight on, "I know you can talk," Professor Oak said, and Red stiffened, "Back in the clearing, you screamed. If you were truly mute you wouldn't be able to vocalize in that way."

Red watched the professor with wide eyes, but to his surprise, Professor Oak didn't seem to be expecting an answer.

"I don't know too much about you, Red, but I'm trying to piece everything together. You have clearly been through a lot, and I'm not going to force you out of your comfort zone unless it's necessary. Clearly trust isn't something you give out, but I hope I'll be able to earn it from you," Professor Oak then let a small smile dance up onto his face, "But I'm glad you see that you trust your Pokemon, and that they trust you. For a Charmander to have evolved so soon... You two are clearly a good match for each other," He nodded at Red, "Continue doing whatever you've doing with your Pokemon, Charmeleon is clearly in good hands."

The doors to the doctor office swung open, and Forest walked in, carrying his and Red's Pokeballs, "I'm back Gramps," He muttered, eyes still stormy, "Unfortunately _she_ found me-!"

"Hello Professor!" Aoi cried, bolting into the building, cutting off Forest, "Forest said that you were here, and I had to stop and say hi!" Aoi flashed Red and Oak a huge smile.

Professor Oak gave her a small smile, "Hello Aoi, how's your journey going?"

"It's going awesomely, Professor!" Aoi chirped, "I caught a Spearow and a Magikarp and a Sandshrew and we've been training for the next gym all morning! I ran into Forest at the Pokemon Center just barely, and it's a relief that he doesn't have the next badge, because he got the boulder badge before me and Red!"

Forest scowled, "Why do you two keep calling hat-head 'Red'? It's not like he's said his name or anything. Please don't tell me that it's some stupid nickname you guys came up with because of his weird eyes."

Professor Oak paused, "Now that you mention it... Aoi, how do you know Red's name?" Red couldn't help but notice that Professor Oak avoided the question himself.

"Oh, that's what that one guy at the Viridian gym called him!" Aoi said off handedly, "Then he chased us and then our Pokemon protected us and after he left I asked Red if that's what his name was and he nodded!"

"Somebody... chased you?" Professor Oak asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, but after Charmander and Kiku and his Golbat attacked him he left, so nothing to worry about. Oh! That reminds me, I never properly thanked you for saving me in Mount Moon Red!" Aoi cried, wheeling around to face the raven haired boy, "If you hadn't brought all those wild Pokemon who knows what Team Rocket would have done to me!"

Red looked up at Aoi, who was still smiling, her bright blue eyes gleaming despite the topic. Professor Oak and Forest looked startled at what Aoi was saying, but before they could reply the nurse stuck her head into the waiting room, calling them back. Red gave a small nod to Aoi, slowly pushing himself to his feet, careful not to jerk in injured arm.

* * *

"Hmm..." The nurse muttered as she peered at Red's arm, gently twisting it, trying to get a full view of the bite marks, "Hard to see it properly because of your jacket, but it doesn't seem to be too bad... A single clean bite, flesh doesn't look too torn..." She looked up at Red, "If you'd remove your jacket, then I can get this cleaned up and bandaged."

Red shifted uncertainly, but slowly began to take off the red jacket. Professor Oak watched as the boy glanced about at him, then at Aoi and Forest, as if wishing that they weren't in here with him. He peeled the jacket off, revealing that he was wearing a long sleeved white shirt. Red carefully set the jacket off to the side of the exam table, but the professor knew that it was probably ruined from the Arcanine bite, but Red seemed to hoped that it was salvageable.

The nurse looked at him for a moment, sighing, "Didn't realize that you were wearing long sleeves at this time of year, kid..." She muttered, shaking her head. She approached him, trying to pull the tight-fitted sleeve up a bit. She looked up at professor with a sigh, then turned back to Red, "I'm going to need to you take off your shirt, some of the cloth tore away and seems to be in the wound. Let me assist you around the bite so you don't make it worse."

Red shuttered, but did as she requested without complaint. Professor Oak couldn't help but frown, even when clearly uncomfortable the boy never seemed to resist. Red slowly began to take off his shirt, shivering as the cool air of the doctor office rushed by his bare skin. The nurse stepped forward, gently guiding the sleeve of his shirt around the wound. Red flinched, but kept quiet as the injury was fully exposed.

Professor Oak leaned forward to look at the bite mark, but like the nurse had said, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, especially from a powerful Pokemon like Arcanine. Professor Oak smiled a bit, glad to see that Maggie wasn't out to hurt others. Even with a Rocket as a trainer, she was still the same good Pokemon he had given William as a Growlithe.

Aoi and Forest were off to the side of the small treatment room. Forest was leaning against the wall, glancing through his Pokedex, looking quite bored. Aoi didn't look entertained either, shifting back and forth, but she stayed quiet. Red was sitting on the examination table, looking quite uncomfortable as the nurse began cleaning his wound. Aoi's eyes darted up towards the ceiling, then down to the floor, looking quite restless as silence settled into the room.

Aoi's eyes flickered towards Red, who had his back to her. Aoi stared at him for a moment, and slowly her eyes widened as she went still, "Oh my Mew..." She whispered, and the professor glanced towards her, "Red, what happened to your back...?" She trailed off, and Red stiffened.

"Aoi, it's impolite to stare," Professor Oak snapped, remembering that Mary had told him of the scars on the boy's back. Forest looked up for a moment, slipping his Pokedex into his pocket.

But Aoi couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Red, and a frown crept up on Forest's face, "Ouch," He muttered, "Looks like hat-head's been through a blender."

"Mom did say that he had scars," Aoi muttered, "But I didn't realize that-"

"You two, enough!" Professor Oak snapped again, stepping forward as he watched Red hunch over, wrapping his arms around himself. He approached the two teenagers, "That's enough, you two go wait out in the lobby..." Professor Oak himself then fell silent as his eyes settled on Red's back.

Mary had told him of the boy's scars, in fact she had almost been in tears, but Professor Oak had always assumed that she had been overreacting. That her motherly self had only been filled with pure concern while nursing Red back to health, and that a few scars were a bit too much for her. But now that he was seeing it for himself...

"Arceus," Professor Oak muttered.

Red's back was completely covered with scars. Hundreds of them. Slashes carved their way up his back all the way to his neck. Dozen upon dozens of scars, not one inch of his back remained untouched. The tiny ridges and dents of the scars gave the young boy's back an unnatural texture, one that should never have been seen on a human. His back wasn't the only thing marked, his arms and sides were also marred, along side the back his neck. A sickening feeling took root within the professor, unable to take his eyes away from the horrendous sight. The boy's apparel now made sense, the long sleeves and the jacket with the high collar, it was all to hide these scars.

A small whimper from Red snapped the professor out of his horrified awe, and his eyes shifted from the disfiguration from the scars to the boy himself. Red was quietly rocking back and forth, looking vulnerable and exposed, hands wrapped around the back of his neck, but unable to cover his scarred back. The nurse was the first to react though, looking quite unsettled though as she torn her gaze away from the scars. She quickly picked up Red's discarded jacket, draping it over his shoulders like a blanket to hide the scars. She placed her hands on his shoulders, taking a deep breath as if she were about to say something. Her sharp brown eyes looked over at the professor; sorrow and anger rooted in her gaze.

"Professor Oak," She said, clearing forcing her tone to stay calm, "Would you please come with me for a moment? I need to see if we have anything he can wear out of here since his shirt is torn."

"Of course," Professor Oak muttered, the image of Red's shredded back branded in his mind, and he followed the nurse out of the examination room.

She was walking with tense steps, eyes facing the ground. As soon as they were out of earshot of the teenagers she wheeled around to face the professor, "What happened to that boy?!" She snarled, voice dripping with disgust and anger.

Samuel Oak took a deep breath, "I don't know, I am just as... surprised," That word didn't feel right, "I barely know the boy... I found him a month or so ago, unconscious and malnourished. He was out for several weeks, my neighbor was caring for him until he awoke. As you probably noticed, he doesn't talk. I know next to nothing about him."

Well, the professor knew that Red had some connection to Team Rocket, but he wasn't about to mention that.

The nurse's gaze softened, no longer quite as angry, though the sorrow and disgust remained, "That poor boy," She whispered, "Those scars..."

"They were definitely caused by a Pokemon," Professor Oak noted nonchalantly, trying to remain calm, but he couldn't stop a gulp.

"Something with claws," The nurse agreed, looking down. After moment she looked towards him, "Professor," She began, "Did you... Did you happen to notice anything about those scars?"

He nodded slowly, "Yes," He said quietly, "Whatever Pokemon caused them was definitely human trained, not wild."

"What?" The nurse asked, paling slightly.

"If a Pokemon were to simply attack out of feeling threatened or angered, it would have targeted areas such as the throat or stomach," The professor rubbed his neck, "Somewhere fatal, it's instinct. There is no reason for a Pokemon to continuously maul someone's back," Professor Oak trembled slightly, "Whatever Pokemon attacked him was most likely ordered to do so by a human."

The nurse looked away, "Professor, did you notice the ages of the scars?" She asked quietly.

"No...?" Professor Oak asked uncertainly.

She gulped, "I'd need more time to know the exact ages, but..." She gulped, "Professor, those scars are all clearly different ages. Some are probably only a few months old, others... Definitely years old, he didn't get all those scars at once. S-so if we combine that with w-what you s-said..."

Professor Oak's stomach tightened, "Someone's been ordering a Pokemon to attack him for years," He concluded with a small whisper.

The nurse gave a slight nod, closing her eyes, "Who could do that to a _child_..." She muttered, looking pale.

Professor Oak turned away, "...Let's get back in there, we shouldn't keep them waiting. I'll have a look at his scars one more time while you wrap up his bite... I'll see if I can identify the Pokemon that did this."

The nurse nodded again, grabbing a while silky shirt from off a shelf, before following Professor Oak back to the room. Red looked muched calmer as they entered, though still a bit shaken up. The nurse put on a smile, acting as if there was nothing wrong. She placed the shirt she had grabbed into Red's lap.

"Here you go," She said a bit too cheerfully, "Once we get you all bandaged up you can put that on. Don't worry about returning it, we have plenty!"

Professor Oak took a deep breath as he approached Red, and slowly slid the jacket off of his shoulders. The boy stiffened again, looking back at the professor with those unnatural red eyes. Professor Oak didn't say anything to him, only ran a finger down one of the scars, trying to gather anything that could indicate the kind of Pokemon that had caused these scars, but the slashes overlapped so much that it was hard to gather anything from them. But Samuel did find that the nurse was right, these scars were not the same age. Some were were young and bright pink, while others thin and white with age. Some were so faded that he could barely see them over the fresher scars.

None of the scars gave any sign that they had been infected in any way, which made the professor frown suspiciously, had all of his injuries been treated right away?

"Three claws," Professor Oak said out loud, finally able to identify some sort of pattern from the scars, "The Pokemon that caused these had three claws," He told the nurse, ignoring the flinched from Red, "I can't tell much else, I'd have to look into it to see if-"

Professor Oak suddenly fell silent, the realization hitting him.

"Professor?" Aoi asked.

"Persian," Professor Oak whispered, and Red flinched once more, "These are Persian slashes."

The look in Red's eyes was all the confirmation the professor needed, and it all made too much sense. Back at the clearing, before William had left, Red had just shut down, he had been frozen in fear, and that hadn't happened until William had sent out his Persian. Now as Professor Oak stared down at the boy's scars, his reaction in the clearing made sense. The sight of the Pokemon that had given him these scars was definitely more than enough to cause that amount of fear...

But what about the Pokemon? They had too frozen up in fear, just like Red, unable to move. But why, they had no reason too. Even William's Persian had been gripped by the sudden fear...

Professor Oak stared at the boy for a moment as the nurse finished wrapping up his arm, realizing that there was probably much more going on with him than he originally thought. Professor Oak trembled slightly, trying to keep his mouth shut, this was not the time or place to discuss this, and it wasn't like the boy would be able answer his questions.

The rest of the appointment went very quickly, with the nurse being very kind to Red, but to the professor's surprise that only made the boy more nervous. As soon as the nurse said he was free to go Red was on his feet, slipping on the new shirt as he bolted for the door, jacket in one hand, hat in the other. Professor Oak nodded at the nurse, following the three teenagers out of the doctor clinic. He was grateful that like with Pokemon, basic health care was free with humans. He wondered how long that would last though, with Rocket steadily on the rise.

"Here's your Pokemon, hat-head," Forest grunted, pushing the two Pokeballs into Red's hand. His eyes lit up, snatching the two spheres in seconds.

"Bah!"

"Pid!"

Aquila and Barney were waiting for them outside, and the two flying types happily greeting them. The shiny Pidgeot looked towards Professor Oak, reminding him that they had come out here for a reason. Oak gave her a short nod, refocusing his gaze on Red. The boy couldn't give him the answers he wanted at the moment, but perhaps Bill could... the inventor did know a lot about Rocket, and perhaps he had heard something...

"Well kids," Professor Oak said, shifting his messenger bag, "I came out here to visit an old friend of mine, so I should get going," The professor paused, "I'm sure you've heard of him, his name is Bill. He's the person that invented the PC system."

Forest rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I lived with you Gramps, how could I have _not_ heard of him?"

"You're going to go _see_ him!?" Aoi cried, eyes lighting up, "Can we come, Professor? Please? I heard he collects really rare and really cute Pokemon!"

Professor Oak hesitated, he needed to talk to Bill alone, but he'd also like Bill to meet Red, perhaps he could provide him with the answers he needed... Professor Oak closed his eyes, mounting Aquila, "I don't see a problem with that," He finally said tensely, "But you'll have to walk to his place. I would join you, but I don't think my old bones would hold up that far, so I'll fly over there," He looked towards the edge of town, "The forest should be... clear now. He lives on the north side of route 25, up against the mountains and down by the cape. It's a little cottage, only building in the area. Just stick to the trail, you can't miss it."

"Okay!" Aoi cried excitedly, "Let go guys!"

"Wait," Professor Oak said, "You two need to stick together," He shot a glare at Forest, "I mean it," The professor hesitated again, not wanting to leave them on their own, not after Rocket had been in there... "Here," Professor Oak muttered, pulling out a Pokeball and tossing it to Forest, "This is Myrtle's Pokeball, send her out if necessary."

"Yeah. Whatever," He muttered.

Aoi glanced at the professor, "What do you mean by the 'two' of us? Isn't Red coming too?"

"Of course," Professor Oak said, "But he's hurt, so he's not walking all of the way there," The professor nudged Aquila, "Let's go girl."

The Pidgeot sprang into the air, quickly rising higher and higher. Barney suddenly scooped up Red in his scaly arms, causing the boy to yelp as the Dragonite suddenly carried him off. Aoi and Forest stared up at the forms of the professor, his Pokemon, and Red as they flew off, blinking several times. The two neighbors glanced at each other for a moment. Aoi gave Forest her signature smile, and he let out a frustrated snort.

"You better not slow me down," He snapped, and suddenly Aoi bolted ahead of him, running towards the edge of the town in excitement, "Or leave me behind!" He cried after her.

* * *

**Well, off to Bill's place next chapter! And after that, it's time for the second gym! (Finally!)**


	14. Chapter 14

_Red had spent a lot of time in the labs before, but this place was new. The laboratory was a single room, but it was huge. Towering metal walls stretched up to an untouchable ceiling. Red craned his neck up, a cool breeze brushing through the room. The eight year old shivered, not sure of what to make of the place. It wasn't the room that was that made him off though, but rather the creature._

_It was hard to get a clear view of it, with the way it was zipping around the room, firing off attacks and slamming into the screens. The screens didn't help Red's view either, the several layers of the brightly colored panels distorted the true color the creature. Red wasn't quite sure if 'panels' was the right word to use, since they didn't seem to be made of a solid mass, but rather they appeared to be made of light._

_Red frowned, watching as the creature rammed its whole body into one of the light panels. It flared a brighter color, and the creature was sent flying back. Red heard it give a small whimper as it hit the ground, before struggling back to it's feet._

_The way the panels looked reminded Red of something like a Light Screen or a Reflect move, but it was acting more like a Protect, keeping anything from passing through. There were a total of three layers surrounding the creature, all cubic in shape._

"_So it's still struggling," A deep voice mused, sounding slightly humored._

_Under different circumstances Red might have flinched and backed away, but right now he wasn't startled by his father's presence, since it had been Giovanni in the first place who had dragged him into this new lab. Red in fact was pressing close to his father- who was the only familiar thing within this new lab._

"_Yes Boss, sir," One of the scientists said, dipping his head respectfully, "It will stop to eat and when it's exhausted, but other than that it just pounds on the barriers."_

"_Any sign of the barriers relenting?" Giovanni asked._

"_No sir," The scientist replied, clear pride in his voice, "It holds up no matter what's thrown at it. Only we are able to influence the barriers!" He nodded to the table located in front of the panels, which was bolted to the ground. Dozens of buttons, switches, and screens covered the control table, but it only looked like a complicated mess to Red._

_Giovanni smirked, approaching the outer barrier, which was a deep blue. The creature paused, glaring at Giovanni, pure hatred in it's eyes. The creature let out a cat-like snarl, hovering in the air. Glowing energy surrounded it's three fingered hands, and it launched a blast of psychic energy straight at Giovanni. Red let out a small cry, but Team Rocket's boss didn't even flinch. The most inner barrier, which was purple, flared up to a deep magenta, dispersing the attack. The creature was visibly shaking with exhaustion, and he slowly lowered himself to the ground._

"_If only Fuji and Blaine could see you now," Giovanni muttered, gently touching the outer blue barrier, which flared up upon the contact._

_The creature hissed._

"_Seven years since you were brought into this world, M2," Giovanni said, glaring down at the creature, "You've killed my scientists, destroyed my labs, and have even escaped from me. Now there is nothing you can do to fight against Rocket. I am asking you now to yield yourself, stop resisting. If you do resist then your time here on out shall not be be pleasant, but I believe that you already know that, considering what you've endured since you've last escaped. Do you wish to repeat that?"_

_The creature looked up at Giovanni, and for a moment Red shall a flash of fear in his eyes. But the fear was gone in moments, crushed out as a burning rage filled the creature's eyes. It let out a yowl, springing to it's feet, forming a sphere between his hands, and launching another attack._

_Red shivered as the attack was neutralized again, and that's when he realized that the barriers were blocking more than the creature and it's attacks. He couldn't sense it. The creature was clearly overflowing with rage, but Red felt nothing._

_Giovanni's eyes darkened, "Very well then, M2, it was your choice. Don't worry, I am more than willing to break you," Giovanni's eyes flickered towards Red, and chills raced up the boy's back, "But then again, perhaps that won't be necessary."_

_Project M2 followed Giovanni's gaze, staring at Red. The Pokemon stared at Red uncertainly, as if it had never seen a child before. The creature pulled back a bit, and Red then noticed something on the creature- it had scars-_ it had scars like him!

"_Boy," Giovanni snapped at Red, and he stiffened, "Step forward," Red hesitated for a moment, but took a step towards the barriers, "We're going to lower the first barrier, and you'll enter. We'll close it behind you, then lower the second one," Giovanni explained, and Red's eyes widened, they wanted him near that thing?! "When the middle barrier is lowered Project M2 will not be able to touch you physically or with attacks, but his psychic abilities will be able to reach your mind, and your own abilities should be able to reach him."_

_Red gave a small nod, quickly realizing what was going on. This was just another experiment for Father, he had done this many times before. Calm the angry Gyarados, make the timid Rattata attack, simple things like that._

_But how was he suppose to make this Pokemon feel?_

_Red shot an uncertain glance at Father, but the man gave no further instructions. Red felt himself starting to tremble, what was he suppose to do? He couldn't mess this up!_

_Somebody at the control table pressed a few buttons, and the blue barrier faded with a flash of light. Red gulped, taking a few steps forward like he was told, and as soon as he reached the middle yellow barrier, the blue one flared back to life._

_Project M2 was looking right at him, a slight smirk on it's face, and Red hated how excited it looked._

"_Sir..." One of the scientist muttered uncertainly._

"_Lower the second barrier," Giovanni ordered, and Red glanced back, not sure of what was about to happen, but everything within him told him to run. The yellow barrier flickered before vanishing, and Red stiffened._

_As soon as the panel was gone, a whole wave of emotions came crashing down onto him. Red stumbled, gasping at the force that was suddenly upon him. Anger, it was the strongest emotion. It was rushing through him, pounding through his mind. This creature was living in a constant state of rage, anger was his comfort, the thing that kept him going. It was just as necessary to the creature as the blood in it's veins. Fear, it was powerful as well, but M2 suppressed it. He felt it, but he couldn't let it control him, it was a poison. Determination, he couldn't falter, he couldn't yield, he must keep fighting. No matter what happened to him, no matter what they did to him, he must not fall._

_And then there was just the slightest sign of curiosity._

_Red fell to his knees, hands clamped over his head as the creature's emotions took a hold of him. This being was powerful, and Red couldn't even begin to extend his own emotions, M2's were just too overwhelming, too much for him to handle. The boy couldn't grasp them, let alone change them._

_**Foolish.**_

_Red flinched as he heard the powerful voice in his mind, eyes widening. He scrambled back, but no one else gave the sign that they had heard the voice, even as it spoke again._

_**Humans, sending yet another of their kind within my grasp... They should know by now that if I can reach you, that I can kill you...**_ _The emotions from the creature shifted slightly, humored,_ _**And kill you, I will, little one. I didn't realize that they had young humans within these walls, but that doesn't matter to me.**_

_Red shivered, _death_. Death had taken Mother from him, it had taken Silver from him too. It was because of death that he had been left here, and it was what made him feel so alone between all the hurt. Sometimes he wished that death would take him too, especially when Father was mad. Mother had said that when good people died they went to a wonderful place, and Red just knew that Mother and Silver had to have gone there! Where else would they have gone? If death came for him then he could see Mother and Silver again! ...But Red feared death too, because was he good enough to go to that wonderful place? Father punished him a lot, so was he bad? Red knew he didn't want to die if he couldn't see Mother and Silver._

_**...Hmm...?**_ _The anger from his mind faded slightly, and the voice in his mind went quiet, and the curiosity within the creature increased,_ _**Strange,**_ _The creature mused,_ _**You've known humans that have died, but you mourn it as if it is yourself.**_

_Red stiffened as he felt the creature dive into his mind, and he recoiled, but M2 was too powerful. He dove into Red's memories, searching quickly and with ease. Red sat there powerless as buried and forgotten memories were tugged to the surface against his will, quickly exposed and viewed by the creature before being plunged back into the depths of his mind._

_**So they want to use you to control me...**_ _The creature smirked,_ _**Foolish, you're weak minded. Shame to see that you have faced much pain too, I didn't know that humans hurt their own kind. I suppose that goes to show how cruel your species truly is,**_ _M2 raised a hand,_ _**Perhaps this is mercy for you, young human. Your death shall free you from your pain just like you wish, but to me this is nothing more than showing humans that I won't show mercy. Just like your kind won't show me mercy. You're lucky to have lived this long while in my grasp, but now you shall die.**_

_Red didn't even get a moment to process what the being had said, because as soon as the voice retreated from his mind, the psychic pressure was bearing down on him. The boy let out a scream as the being launched the mental attack, it's vast powers targeting every inch of his brain. Red felt himself loose all control of his muscles, his whole body! He couldn't move! He couldn't breath! He collapsed to the ground, beginning to writhe as the psychic energy rushed through his mind, gnawing away his-_

_Then the pain was gone._

_Red let out a gasp of air, lungs inflating as they once more began to inhale the precious air. Out of the corner of his eye, Red saw that the yellow middle barrier was flickering back to life, blocking off M2's mental hold on him, as well as it's emotions. Red was laying on the ground, gasping for air like a Magikarp, his own feelings slowly slipping into his mind now that M2's overwhelming ones were gone. After a moment the blue outer barrier faded as well, and two grunts were dragging him out, back towards Father._

_M2 let out a frustrated scream, pounding the inner purple barrier with attacks once more._

_Red was struggling to control his muscles, and fear had taken root within him. He had failed, he hadn't influenced the creature at all. Red knew the price of failure, but he couldn't even bring himself to cry as his body twitched uncontrollably. How long was he going to be like this? Was he going to be this helpless while he was punished?_

_Suddenly Giovanni entered the boy's limited line of sight, standing right above him. Red would have stiffened if possible as his father looked down at him, but to Red's surprise, Giovanni didn't even look angry._

_He was smiling._

_Not a cruel smile, but not a sweet one either. It was a smile of victory. Confusion rushed through Red, he had failed, hadn't he? Why was father acting like everything had gone well? What was going on?! Red attempted to move, but a headache was creeping into his mind._

"_Congratulations, Red," Giovanni said, that smile still on his face. Red shivered, it had been some time since his father had used his name, "You're the first person to have been M2's presence for that long before he chose to attack. It looks like we finally have something to work with."_

_Red didn't know what that meant, but relief rushed through him, it sounded like that he wasn't going to be punished, and that was all the boy needed to know._

_Still twitching uncontrollably, Red's head jerked to the side, allowing him to catch a faint glimpse of M2. It had slunk to the corner of its confinement, trembling. Red may have not been able to sense its emotions anymore, but for some reason a faint pulse of sorrow formed within him as he watched the confined clone._

* * *

Red had never necessarily been afraid of heights, but being snatched up in the arms of a Dragonite without warning had only left heavy feeling in Red's stomach as he glanced over at the fall below him. Red gulped, tightening his grip around his two Pokeballs, not wanting to drop them at such a height. He laid still in the Dragonite's grip, there wasn't much else he could do while hundreds of feet in the air with no way down.

"Bah!" Barney said, looking down at the teenager he was holding. He let out a comforting rumble, trying to soothe the stiff boy as he glided after his trainer.

They weren't in the air for long, the flight from Cerulean to Bill's place was very short. Barney and Aquila quickly flew over the same forest that Red had faced William in earlier that day, wings flapping through the calm air. It wasn't long until a small little cottage came into view, nestled up right against the mountains ahead of them. A salty scent clung to the air, and down below they could hear the calming sounds of the ocean washing up against the shore as the two flying types went into a gentle dive.

Red stumbled away from Barney as he set him down, glad to have both feet planted on the ground once more. Flying on a Pokemon was something he had never done before, and something he wasn't eager to do again. Red glanced at Professor Oak hesitantly, who was dismounting his Pidgeot. He returned the shiny Pokemon after he had gotten off, gently placing her Pokeball deep into the messenger bag over his shoulder. Barney approached Professor Oak, wrapping him up in a tight hug. The older man sighed, but didn't bother to recall the dragon type, then looked over towards Red.

"I'm sorry for suddenly bringing you out here," He said, slipping out of Barney's grip, eyes scanning Red, "But I wanted you to meet my friend Bill, but it would be best if Forest and Aoi weren't there. I do not want them involved with this, and I didn't see any excuse I could use to bring you out here without them, hence us flying out ahead of them."

Red said nothing, only watching Professor Oak. He glanced at the cottage not far from them. It was a small, homely place, overlooking the sea. He wasn't quite sure who Bill was, but the cottage was a lot less intimating that the other buildings he had been through recently. Red sighed, he wasn't eager to go back through the woods after the incident with William, so he might as well meet this 'Bill'.

Professor Oak glanced around before approaching the small dirt path to the cottage. Red trailed behind him, slipping Tempest's Pokeball into his pocket while keeping Aiden's in his hand. Barney happily plopped down in the front of the cottage, letting out a purr of a rumble, content as he sprawled out in the lush grass. Professor Oak knocked three times on the door of the cottage, pausing, then added two more knocks.

Someone could be heard from the inside, quickly approaching the door. Red nervously released Aiden, the red Charmeleon stretching as he was sent out of the Pokeball. The footsteps from inside went quiet, silence drifting through the air.

"It's me, Bill," Professor Oak said with a sigh, crossing his arms.

There was the sound of a lock being flipped, then silence again.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Professor Oak spoke again, "I ran into some trouble on the way here, but I brought the files you wanted. You know I was coming, so please just open the door, Leo."

There was a sigh from the inside, and the door was opened a crack. A man shorter than Red was peeking up at them, a mess of wavy brown hair on his head, "Don't call me that," He snapped at Professor Oak, looking about. His eyes settled on Red, "Who's the kid, Samuel? You said you're coming alone."

"He's with me," Professor Oak replied, "I have a few questions about him that I'm hoping you can answer."

Bill stayed silent for a moment, "And the Charmeleon?"

"The boy's," Professor Oak said, looking impatient, but not surprised by all the questions, "He's more comfortable around Pokemon than he is humans. The Charmeleon is just like Barney, he won't be any harm. Let us in Leo."

The door was finally open all the way, and Bill stepped to the side, "Come in, but stop spouting my name like it's nothing!"

Professor Oak stepped inside the small cottage, needing to duck so he didn't hit his head on the low door. The professor gave Red an encouraging nod, but the raven haired boy didn't enter until after Aiden dated into the cottage like he owned the place. Bill watched the Charmeleon with his sharp brown eyes, suspicion brewing as he glanced over Red.

The cottage felt even smaller on the inside than how it appeared on the outside. There only seemed to be three rooms total in the small home, a large main room that seemed to act as a living space, kitchen, and storage room. There were several other doors, but judging by the size of the cottage they couldn't lead to a room as big as the one they had stepped in.

"Leave his things alone, Charmeleon," Professor Oak said gently as the lizard darted over to a table, getting up on the tips of his claws to get a peek at all the metal parts laying around on the table. Aiden glanced back at the professor, but obeyed, slipping away from the table and back to Red's side. Red placed his hand on top of Aiden's head, who pressed against him like a loyal Growlithe.

"Do you have-" Bill paused, looking at Red, "...Do you have... it?" He asked, more quietly.

"Yes," Professor Oak pulled several files out of his messenger bags, "Just copie, I have the originals back in my lab, but it has the same data," Bill perked up, eagerly leaning forward to get a look at the papers, but Professor Oak held them up, out of the man's reach, "Wait. I know that Blaine trusts you, and I know that we have worked together several times in the past, but still," Professor Oak's eyes narrowed, "The last time I handed out this data ended up being one of the biggest mistake of my life. You must promise to destroy this as soon as you're done."

"I'm just going to look over it, and it will be gone right after," Bill promised, "I know better than to hold onto certain things."

Professor Oak closed his eyes, nodding, and pressed the files into Bill's hands. The man quickly snatched up the files, glancing briefly over them, eyes widening, "You managed to find this much data on a Pokemon so rare?"

"Yes," Professor Oak replied, voice grave, "That was something I should have never done."

Red, growing bored of the meaningless conversation, took to looking around the cottage. Much like Professor Oak's lab, the cottage was a chaotic mess, papers and machine parts scattered around. Dishes were pile high in the sink, half eaten meals sticking to the greasy plates. Red crinkled his nose, looking over at the table that Aiden had taken interest in earlier. Half assembled machine parts took up most of the table, along with several pizza crusts, but in the center Red saw what must have caught the Charmeleon's attention in the first place.

The basket was positioned in the center of the table, blankets lined the bottom of the wicker basket, cushioning small round object lying in the it. The small sphere was light brown, with a jagged tan ring around the center. Red stared at it for a moment in confusion, he could _sense_ the object. A gentle wave of calm came from the sphere, not as powerful as a Pokemon would give off, but enough to make Red reach towards it.

"_Eon!"_ A voice snarled from behind Red, making him jump. A sleek, green and tan creature bolted past him, darting up onto the table. The unfamiliar grass type let out a low growl at Red, the fur on his back raised. Red took a step back as the Pokemon hovered protectively in front of the basket. It had a long, leaf-like tail and ears with dark brown paws. Aiden let out a hiss in return, claws gleaming.

"Verde, stand down," Bill snapped at the Pokemon. The grass type stopped growling, but refused to move away from the basket, "And you, kid, don't you know better than you touch a Pokemon egg? You're lucky my Leafeon didn't choose to attack."

"A Leafeon!" Professor Oak cried in wonderment, "How fascinating, quite a rare sight here in Kanto!"

"Yeah, Verde here evolved on my trip up to Sinnoh not that long ago..." Bill sighed, "Then suddenly he got all fancy eyed for Mum's Glaceon, and the next thing I know she's dropped their egg on me!"

The Leafeon nuzzled the small egg, giving it a gentle lick. Red watched in fascination, he had seen a few eggs before, but never one so close, or near its parent. The Leafeon watched him out of the corner of his eyes, and Red took a step back to give him it's space.

"Don't sound so disappointed Bill," Professor Oak said, "That's an Eevee egg you got there after all, a very rare Pokemon indeed!"

Bill sighed, "I don't get to keep the egg, once it hatches my mum wants to give it to my little sister Valerie," He looked at the egg for a moment longer, then set the folders that Professor Oak had given him down on the table, "Watch that," He told the Leafeon, who gave a single nod before returning his focus to his egg, "Now, let me see if I can find a place for us to sit, then you can tell me why you brought this kid along."

Sitting turned out to be a harder feat than it should have been, but considering the state of the cottage it was no surprise. After a few minutes Bill had cleared off a section of couch for Red to sit on, and had carefully moved colored wires from off of the only chair in the house for the professor. Not wanting to go through all of the electronics that remained on the couch, Bill had moved several boxes and sat on his ottoman.

Aiden had decided to climb into Red's lap despite the boy's protests. The large lizard had curled up, claws digging into Red's legs, his large head laying in his trainer's arms. Red ran one hand down the Charmeleon's smooth scales, which were warm to the touch. Aiden flicked his tail contently, which Bill eyed nervously.

"Don't worry," Professor Oak said, "Fire types can control the flames that stem from their body, he won't burn anything."

Bill sighed, "Alright, what's the big deal with this boy?"

"Bill, this is Red. I found him unconscious not far of Pallet town several weeks ago," Professor Oak turned towards Red, "And this is Leo Bilius Masaki," Bill stiffened, "Who prefers to go by Bill while he resides here in Kanto for... for his own safety. He's the person that invented the Pokemon PC. He is amazing with electronics, and he collects rare Pokemon, like that Leafeon you met earlier."

Verde shot a glare at Red.

"Thank you, Professor. It's not like I have a whole crime syndicate after me! Go on blabbing my real identity to everyone!" Bill cried.

"Your secret if safe with Red, Bill," Professor Oak said, "Red doesn't talk, besides, he's trying to avoid Team Rocket just as much as you."

Red stiffened.

Bill snorted, "A kid? What would Team Rocket want with some kid?"

"...I have my theories, but I don't know for sure. As I said, Red won't speak, I only know what I do from what I observe," Professor Oak sighed, "That's why I brought him here. I'm convinced he was involved with the science side of Team Rocket, and since you're a former Team Rocket scientist I was hoping-"

_Crash!_

Red had jumped out of his seat, sending Aiden falling straight to the floor. The Charmeleon let out a whimper as he slammed into the ground, knocking over a box. Red's eyes had gone wide, glued to Bill. Professor Oak quickly jumped to his feet as Red backed towards the door, panic in his eyes.

"Red, wait!" Professor Oak said, "Bill is not a danger," He glanced towards Bill, "He was forced into Team Rocket against his will, he never wanted anything to do with it. He's been in hiding from them for the last nine years," Red paused for a moment, "He will not hurt you."

"I never did much excitement with Rocket anyways," Bill said, "I was just building their machines, I never knew the details of their projects," Bill's eyes flickered to the files, "But by combining your notes, Professor, and the things they had me built, I think we just might get some idea of Rocket's intentions."

Professor Oak was still facing Red, hands held out in a calming manner, "Red, Bill can either help you with advice, or he can help me understand... your situation better, which could help me assist you. I'm not forcing you to stay here though, and you can leave if you want."

Red glanced at Aiden, who had slunk over to the table again, peering up at the egg. Verde glanced at the Charmeleon, but didn't seem to think he was a threat. Red took a deep breath, looking at Bill, then the professor, then headed back towards the couch. The professor relaxed as he sat down, and turned to face Bill.

"So the kid is on the run from Rocket, but why would Rocket care about some kid? I mean, that Charmeleon's rare enough, but clearly that's not the reason," Bill crossed his arms, leaning back, "So what's so special about him?"

Professor Oak glanced at Red, "Well... His back is completely mangled by scars," The professor closed his eyes, "It's not pretty, and was clearly caused by a Pokemon acting under human's orders. I don't know what they were doing to him, but this has been going on for years..." He hesitated, "But I think he has powers of some sort."

Red stared down at his shoes, while Bill looked up in interest, "Powers?"

The professor nodded, "I noticed it before I even found him- a bunch of Pidgeys showed up at my lab. They wouldn't leave me alone until me and Barney followed, and they lead us to Red. Now I wouldn't say it's uncommon for a Pokemon to help a human, but typically they don't seek out humans in cases like that, especially Pidgeys. After that he was able calm down Barney with no effort, without even speaking," He rubbed his chin, "I honestly didn't give it too much thought at first, but Pokemon seem naturally drawn for him. He was able to win defeat a rock gym with little experience, only a Charmander and Pikachu in his team. Then Aoi mentioned that Red lead wild Pokemon to fight against Team Rocket yesterday..."

"Wait," Bill said, sitting up, "Yesterday? Are you saying that Team Rocket's in the area!?"

Professor Oak snorted, "In Mt. Moon, but that's nothing to be concerned about, considering that I just chased off a Rocket recruiter in these very woods today," He gestured towards the window, "Not far from your home, Leo."

Bill's eyes went wide, "What? Was that why you were late? Why didn't you say something?!"

"Relax. There was only one, and he was just trying to pick up on a few new members, I chased him off. I doubt they even know that you're here," The professor looked away, fist clenching as his thoughts turned to son. He quickly shook his head, "Anyways, it was in that same battle that it became clear that Red has some connection to the Pokemon."

"Don't just change the subject, Oak!" Bill cried, "There practically were Rockets at my doorstep! I came back to Kanto at a risk, Rocket is not merciful to deserters like me!"

"Do you honestly think I would bring a child that Rocket seems to be seeking if there was danger? Aoi also mentioned that they were attacked by Team Rocket in Viridian, by someone that knew the Red's name! He's encountered Rocket three times since he's left Pallet, which is more than you've face in the last few years! Red is clearly in more danger than you are, and I wouldn't take him somewhere that would place him in danger. Get over yourself and focus on the topic at hand."

Bill huffed, "...Fine. Continue. What makes the kid so special?"

Professor Oak's brow narrowed, "I honestly don't know how to describe it... But the Pokemon seem to take on his emotions. During my battle with Wil- R-rocket- a Persian was sent out into the battle," Red winced, "...The mere sight of it shut him down Bill," Professor Oak whispered, "It was painful just to watch..." Oak glanced Red for a moment, "But he wasn't the only one to be consumed in the fear, all of the Pokemon were... From the Persian, to my Dragonite, to the wild Pokemon. Barney couldn't even seem to hear my comands, he couldn't even move. As soon as the Persian was recalled the boy was able to regain control of himself, and as soon as he was able to calm himself the Pokemon could move again. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen, they were responding to him."

Bill didn't respond, leaning forward, eyes lost in thought. He muttered under his breath for a moment, glancing towards Red, hesitating.

"...Hey, kid?" Bill asked quietly, "...If this is all true... could you possible show me this... ability of yours?"

Red hesitated, looking at Professor Oak, then gave a small nod. If they know about his powers then there was no point in hiding it. Red focused his attention on the Leafeon, who had settled down next to his egg.

Red gathered his emotions, reaching out to the grass type. The Pokemon froze as their emotions touched, and Verde let out a warning hiss, clearly still unhappy with Red nearly touching his egg. Red gulped, but forged a connection, digging into the Leafeon's mind. Focusing on his own thoughts, Red pushed his own current emotion onto the Leafeon- fear.

Verde suddenly let out a yowl, diving and cowering behind the basket. Bill wheeled around in surprise, facing his Pokemon, who was trembling in his fear of nothing. Bill stared at the Pokemon for a moment, when suddenly the Leafeon sat straight up, ears going back as Red channeled his frustration into him. It had been a while since he had purposely taken direct control of a Pokemon's emotions, and Red had forgotten how satisfying it had been to finally release his bottled up emotions.

"Leaf!" Verde hissed, spit flying from his mouth as he glared at his trainer, rage radiating from him. The Pokemon became outlined in silver, charging at his trainer with a Quick Attack. Bill let out a startled cry as the Leafeon leapt off of the table, slamming into him, knocking Bill off of the ottoman and to the floor. Red's eyes widened as the Leafeon's teeth gleamed with dark energy for a Bite attack, and he quickly cut off his connection to the Leafeon.

The Leafeon paused mid attack, jaws wide open. Verde blinked, letting out a confused whine. He backed off of Bill, giving him a small lick on the cheek, "Eon?"

Bill sat up, rubbing his chest right where Verde had hit him. He had a stunned looked on his face, and he looked up towards Red, "...Wow... That was you, kid?" He muttered after a moment, and Professor Oak seemed just as amazed. Bill pushed himself to his feet, "I wonder if..." He muttered, looking at Red, "I mean, I was raised on those legends, but I always thought that there were just... legends..." Bill approached Red, who shifted uncomfortably as the man peered into his eyes, "...He has red eyes," Bill said to Professor Oak.

"I'm aware of that," The professor replied.

Bill shook his head, "Kantonians..." He muttered, "Are you even familiar with any of the Johtonese legends?" He asked.

The professor shrugged, "I've heard _of _them; Ho-oh, Lugia, Raikou and such."

Red perked up slightly, eyes lighting up as he heard the names of the Pokemon. Aiden did the same, eyes gleaming with the same excitement he felt coming from his trainer.

"Well, in Johto we have a legend about two brothers," Bill looked at Red, "The story varies depending on who tells it, but the basic myth is the same. There was suppose to be a time before Johto was united, a time without technology, and a time of warfare, doom and gloom and all that jazz. Pokemon and humans hadn't come to form the bond that we see between them now. The world was young, wild, chaotic, et cetera. The legend said that there were two brothers that had grown tired of the world they lived in, and sought out others that felt the same. Supposedly under their leadership they managed to find peace, working alongside Pokemon, and were said to be the first humans to do that," Bill said.

"And how does this connect to Red?" Professor Oak asked.

Bill bit a lip for a moment, "I never had too much interest in the legends, my mum and sister are more the story type, but I'll do my best."

Red didn't need to hear it though, he knew this story like the back of his hand. It was the that mother always told to him and Silver. This was the story from the before, before Father and before the days of pain. It was the one he'd tell himself over and over in his mind when he'd lay awake in bed, whole body aching. It was one of the few things that would keep him going, the story that he'd let run wild in his imaginations, reminding him that there was something out there beyond the walls of the base. Red glanced around the cottage for a moment, favoring the knowledge that he was now _in_ the beyond. He refocused his attention on Bill, his summary of the legend had felt bland, but it had been so long since Red had heard it told out loud that he didn't care.

"The legend state that the brothers had caught the attention of the guardians of Johto, Ho-oh and Lugia," Bill continued, "From what I understand, each brother was given the chance to receive a gift from one of the legends. The youngest brother wished upon Lugia that he could hear what a Pokemon was saying in it's soul. He then became surrounded in a wind of silver, eyes 'turning bluer than the skies', as my mum told it. From that moment on his ears were open, and he could hear the true language of Pokemon."

Red's heart sank slight in disappointment, Bill had left out that this had taken place on Mt. Silver. That had always been Silver's favorite part of the story, since he had been named after the same mountain. Silver had never enjoyed the parts of the brothers receiving their powers though, since Silver himself had been powerless unlike Red and their mother. Red's heart twisted painfully as he thought back on his little brother. He missed everything about him, from his constant whining to that very last night he had saw him. The last night with Silver at the Rocket base before he was taken... Red closed his eyes, and Aiden lowered his head mournfully. Even Verde's ears drooped slightly, pressing himself up against Bill's leg.

"The oldest brother did the same with Ho-oh, but instead wished that he could feel what was within a Pokemon's heart. He then 'became engulfed in a golden flame, eyes turning to the color of a red blaze, and from that moment on his heart became connected to Pokemon, their emotions never hidden from him'," Bill closed his eyes, "The brothers and their descendants are everywhere in Johtonese legends and history. Their descendants are said to have inherited their powers and formed two clans, one that follows Ho-oh and the other Lugia. These are the clans that are said to have built and managed the famous Brass Tower and the Bell Tower, when the legendaries were said to have once roosted, until the Brass Tower burned, that is," Bill finished, still looking at Red.

"So you think that Red...?" Professor Oak asked uncertainly.

Bill shrugged, "I'm not saying that the legends are true, but every myth is built on fact, isn't it? His powers align with the story of the oldest brother, and he has those same red eyes. It's possible that Rocket heard of the legends and sought out for the origin, and found this kid," Bill watched Red, "Then again Rocket isn't too influential in Johto, but they to have some forces there," He paused, "Up until today I never thought that Verde would hurt me in a million years, but the kid managed to turn that around in seconds. I see why Rocket wants him now, to have power over Pokemon like that..." Bill shook his head, "If used right, it could be devastating, especially in Rocket's hands."

Professor Oak turned to Red, "Does any of this... sound familiar or anything?" He asked hesitantly.

Red nodded eagerly.

Bill picked up the files from off the table, "So they're not afraid to use kids in their experiments now, are they?" He sighed as he looked through the files again, "I'll call up Blaine, see if he knows anything about this, but then again he has always been pretty guarded when it comes to his time in Rocket. It looks like we have even more to look into now..." He sighed, setting the folders down. Red looked over, eyes recognizing a few words on the file.

_Project M._

He wasn't truly reading the words, he didn't know how the letters worked together to form words, but he had seen those symbols in that order so many times that he couldn't help but recognized them. He picked up the file, staring down at it, realizing one symbol was missing from the normal pattern he saw with these symbols.

"Red?" Professor Oak asked uncertainly. He looked uneasy as he watched the boy handle the documents, and Red tapped the file with one hand, "Um... Do you know something about that?"

Red nodded, tapping the folder again. But still... it just didn't look right. A discarded pencil caught Red's eye, and he picked it off from up the ground. He gripped the pencil as if he were about to stab something, not properly holding it. He hesitantly placed the tip of the pencil to the folder, and slowly scrawled a shakey "2" next to the M. He let the pencil fall to the floor, looking over the symbols one more time, which now read: _Project M_**2**_._ Satisfied that it looked right now, he handed the file over to Oak.

"'Project M'Z'?'" Bill muttered, peering over Oak's shoulder. Red shook his head, they weren't saying it right, and the professor looked at it again.

"I think that's an attempt at a 'two'," Professor Oak said quietly, looking at the scraggly 2 Red had added, "But why-?"

Professor Oak never got to finish his sentence though, since just then someone pounded on the door. Bill let out a yelp, grabbing the folders and stuffing them into a nearby box. He looked towards the door as if it were a Voltorb about to blow.

"I'll take care of this," Bill said quietly, inching towards the door, but Oak held up a calming hand.

"It's okay, it's probably just my grandson and neighbor. I couldn't think of a way to get Red out here without them coming as well, so I invited them along," The professor explained.

Bill glared at him, "Why don't you just go tell Rocket where I live as well?"

"Just invite them in, Bill," Professor Oak replied. Muttering under his breath, Bill cautiously approached the door, opening it a crack like he had with them.

"Hello!" Aoi's voice chirped from outside, "Are you Bill? Is the professor in there? Can we come in?"

"If you must," Bill grunted, stepping back and allowing Aoi and Forest to enter. Aiden looked up excitedly as he saw the Squirtle that was near Forest. Springing to his feet, Aiden charged forward, tackling his half sister to the ground.

"Char!" He cried excitedly, nuzzling her happily.

"Woah!" Aoi cried, looking around the messy cottage in wonder, "This reminds me a lot of the professor's lab! You must be brilliant, Bill sir!"

Forest rolled his eyes, "A messy room does not mean that someone is brilliant, you thick-headed-"

"Forest," Professor Oak said, causing his grandson to fall silent.

"Tle!" Shelly said, trying to pushed to evolved brother off of her, but the Charmeleon picked up the smaller water type, wrapping her in a hug. The Squirtle let out a sigh, and gave Aiden a hug in return.

"It's nice to meet you," Bill said, holding his hand out to Forest, "Your grandfather has told me a lot about you."

"Great," Forest muttered, but shook Bill's hand.

"Is it true that you that you collect rare Pokemon?" Aoi asked excitedly, and her eyes flickered to the Leafeon at Bill's feet. The grass type's eyes widened, and he quickly leapt up onto Bill's shoulders, hissing at the girl.

Bill stroked the Eeveelution, "Sorry, Verde is never the friendliest with strangers. But yes, I have a few Pokemon that you'd consider rare," Bill glanced at Professor Oak, "We'll continue our conversation later, I suppose?"

"Yes," Professor Oak said, eyes shifting to the box that Bill had stuffed the folders in, "Forest, did you run into any trouble on your way out here?"

Forest pulled out a Pokeball, tossing it to his grandfather, "The only trouble was Aoi," He replied, "Here's Myrtle's Pokeball though, she's outside with Barney."

Red pulled himself to his feet, glancing at Aiden. The Charmeleon perked up, and darted over to Red, carrying Shelly in his claws, "Char?" He asked, blinking. Red jerked his head towards the door, he was ready to leave this place. The Charmeleon nodded, bringing the squirming Squirtle into another hug, "Mele!"

Aoi was following Bill around excitedly, who had pulled out several Pokeballs from a messy shelf. At first he had seemed uncomfortable with everyone, but as he held up each Pokeball and started talking he seemed to lose his hostile attitude, "And this is a Togetic," He said, releasing the small flying Pokemon, "A very rare sight, even in it's native Johto, where I'm from!"

Aoi touched the top of the fairy type's head, letting out a small laugh. Forest was standing off to the side, looking uninterested, but still scanned the Pokemon with his Pokedex. Red headed for the door of the cottage, Aiden at his heels, who was still carrying Shelly.

"Squirtle squirt!" She cried as Aiden hopped outside, cradling her. Red stuck his hands into his pockets, staring up at the sky as they headed down the dirt path. He didn't notice the small Bellsprout that was standing next to Bill's house, watching him.

A frown crossed the boy's face as he stared up, thinking back on Professor Oak's and Bill's words. They seemed to be genuine, but Red wasn't ready to hand over his trust to them quite yet. Pokemon were one story- he always knew how they felt. But humans... At the very least they were clearly against Team Rocket, and he could use that to his advantage. Forest and Aoi were too reckless though, both charging into situations that were beyond them, and that was something that Red wasn't willing to work with, taking risks was... too risky. At least Aoi didn't seem to have a full understanding of what she was getting into, but Forest just didn't seem to care.

He didn't know why they acted like he was part of their group now, but he wasn't sure of what to make of how familiar they now all seemed to him. His whole life people just came and went, except for Father, and now these new humans were beginning to feel more permanent in this foreign world. Was he suppose to accept that comfort? Or push it away before he felt connected? He knew the closer you were to something, the more it hurt when it was gone, sometimes even more than physical pain.

"...Toise..." A voice grunted, pulling Red out of his thoughts.

Red paused, turning around. Aiden was still up by the cottage, clutching Shelly to his chest. Standing in front of the fire type was a huge, towering, Blastoise. The water type was glaring at the Charmeleon through narrowed eyes, trembling slightly. Aiden gulped, and then set Shelly down on the ground, taking a step back. The Squirtle pushed herself to her feet, glancing between her brother and Blastoise.

"Tle?" She said uncertainly to her evolved form, but the Pokemon didn't take her eyes off of Aiden. Gulping, he took a step forward, waving his clawed hand uncertainly.

"C-char?" He said, eyes wide, but hopeful. The Blastoise didn't move, and Aiden took another step forward, but still she gave no reaction. His's tail twitched, and he slowly reached out towards the Blastoise.

"Blast!" She snarled, aiming both of her water cannons down towards Aiden, and the fire type froze. Shelly ran between them, but neither Pokemon seemed to care. Barney, who had been watching from the grass, sprang to his feet.

"Bah!" He cried at the Blastoise, placing a clawed hand on her shoulder. She shrugged off the Dragonite, turning to face him, "Gonite," Barney said in a calming voice.

"Toise!" She snarled back at him, whipping around to face the Charmeleon, only to find herself staring into a pair of bright crimson eyes.

Red glared up at the Blastoise, scanning her. Aiden peered around from behind his trainer, tugging on his sleeves. Red sensed a mixture of emotions coming from the Blastoise, bitterness and anger were the strongest of them. But underneath the churning emotions Red felt a few more; sorrow, pity, and regret. Red closed his eyes, letting the Blastoise's emotions ripple through him. She shifted back as she felt Red reaching out. Red looked up at her, sending a single emotion towards her. Not one of his own, but the one he had just drawn from Aiden.

Hope.

The Blastoise flinched as she felt the fire type's emotion washed over her, blinking rapidly. Barney placed a hand on his mate's shoulder for a moment, looking down at his two children. Shelly took a few steps forward, wrapping her arms around her mother's leg, and the Blastoise looked down at her, and scooped her up. Aiden let out a faint whimper, but didn't move from behind his trainer.

"There you are Shelly," Forest said as he stepped out of Bill's cottage, "Thought you took off without me," He held a small slip of paper in his hands. Shelly jumped out of her mother's arms, running up towards her trainer.

"Hello Red!" Aoi called, "Lookie at what Bill gave us! He has one for you too!"

Red turned, watching the strawberry blonde girl run up to him, two pieces of paper in her hands. She held one up to him, grinning from ear to ear. Red glanced over it, but the clustered letters were nothing but foreign symbols to him. He looked at Aoi, blinking.

"Come on, you've heard about the S.S. Anne, right?!" Aoi cried, and Red shook his head, and Aoi looked shocked, "What?! It's like, the biggest cruise ship in Kanto! It was just finished not that long ago, and you have to be like, really rich to get on!"

Red shrugged, and Forest snorted, "What? Don't care for the luxury life, hat-head?" Forest asked, "That's a S.S. Anne ticket she's holding. Or can you not just read or something?"

Red shook his head.

Aoi blinked, "Wait, you can't read?" She asked, stunned, and Red gave her a small confirming nod, shifting. He just wanted to leave, and he could sense that Aiden felt the same, with the way the Blastoise was glaring at him.

"He's clearly lying," Forest said, rolling his eyes, "Everyone our age knows how to read. Just give him the stupid ticket so we can be on our way! Our second gym is in Cerulean and I don't want to be on this stupid route for one more minute!"

Aoi was watching Red with a frown, but pressed the ticket into his hands, "Bill gave each of us one of these tickets. It's for the grand opening of the S.S Anne, these tickets will get us aboard one night! It's scheduled to set sail from Vermillion City in a few weeks, so we should be able to go before it leaves," She looked at her ticket excitedly, "Even if it's not for a whole cruise, this is awesome! It's a shame Bill can't go, he won them in a raffle but says he can't make it!"

Red was sure that Bill had other reasons for not going, and slipped the ticket into his bag. He glanced at Forest, gave a small nod at Aoi, then headed down the trail that lead to Cerulean city, Aiden at his heels.

* * *

"That was nice of you to give them those tickets," Professor Oak said as he watched Aoi run out the door after Forest, "A night aboard the S.S. Anne isn't just something to miss."

Bill shrugged, returning the Pokemon he had gotten out for Aoi too see, "I get things like that all the time, inventing the PC system was fun, but now I just get too much attention for my own good. I might head back to Johto soon if this keeps up, I can't risk being discovered by Team Rocket."

"Maybe the danger for you has passed," Professor Oak suggested, "I mean, it's been nine years since you left, and you were just a minor scientist, are they still really after you?"

Bill snorted, "You were the lucky one, leaving just as Madame Boss stepped down. She may have been cruel, but she was definitely more lax. But her son," Bill shook his head, "You don't mess up with Giovanni in charge."

"I won't believe that there was anyone worse that Victoria until I see it with my own eyes," Professor Oak replied.

Bill glanced at him, "So what do you think Team Rocket ended up doing with your research on Mew anyways?" Bill asked hesitantly.

Professor Oak sighed, rubbing his temples, "...I was hoping nothing. I was hoping that they found nothing with Project M, but..." He thought back on the '2' Red had added to the folder, "I'm afraid that Red proved that hope wrong."

"Are you going to tell the kid about your involvement with Rocket?" Bill asked.

"You saw how he reacted with you," Professor Oak said gravely, "So no, I'm not going to say a word. Especially if he knows about... 'Project M2'. I don't know what they're doing exactly with it, but I do know that they kept everything regarding Mew top secret. So if Red knows..."

"Then you think that his powers must then be involved in some way," Bill replied, and Oak nodded, "You should take the boy to the league, the Elite Four and Champion could surely help-"

"No!" Oak snarled, "I'm not getting him involved anymore than he has too! Besides, the Elite Four is full of nothing but people that earn their way into power _through_ power! Who knows what they'll do when they discover what the boy's capable of! Attention is the last thing he needs!" Professor Oak took a deep breath, fists clenched, "...Sorry about that," He sighed, "But no, the boy doesn't seem to have much experience with people outside of Team Rocket and... I don't want to rush him. I'm just going to keep my distance and help him when I can."

"What about Rocket?" Bill asked.

"Don't worry," Professor Oak said, "Finding a way to take out Team Rocket is still my main goal."

* * *

**Off to the second gym next chapter! ...Finally...**

**Yeah, so no Bill being turned into a Pokemon, I just felt that it didn't fit into the story, so I cut it out.**

**But in this chapter we learn a bit more about Mewtwo, and where Red's powers might have originated from.**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope you guys all have a wonderful day. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**How fitting, we start off the second gym battle right on this story's second birthday.**

**...Can't believe it's been that long.**

**Anyways, thank you for the support you guys have given this story, it's been really fun to write so far! There will be no flashbacks for this chapter or the next one, since we're doing the gym battle.**

* * *

"Pika..." Tempest muttered uncertainly, looking around the Cerulean city gym. The young Pikachu had been in only a few human buildings during her time under a trainer, but this one was definitely the largest one of all. The ceiling stretched much higher than any of the trees back in her home forest had, and the walls were made of large glass panels that let natural sunlight into the gym. The electric type's nose curled as the smell of chemicals drifted past her, potent and unfamiliar.

Due to her times in the Pokemon Center, she hadn't been startled by the automatic doors of the gym, but she wasn't quite sure of what to make of the pools.

The scent of chlorine drifted up from one of the twin pools, the gleaming clear water looking foreign to Tempest, who was use to a small stream as a good large water source, eyed the unnatural deepness and squareness to the pools uneasily. Her ears twitched unhappily, sounds of humans echoing through the gym with a sharpness that you couldn't quite get in a cave, as adults and children called out happily. Her fur bristled, pacing as Red uncertainly looked around. Tempest could tell that he wasn't too happy by the amount of people in here, and she agreed. She wanted a battle! Not to be stuck in this strange human building!

There were two pools in the buildings, the larger one currently filled with humans, swimming and splashing about. Did they think they were fish or something? Red may be a coward at times, but at least he wasn't crazy like this! The annoying girl, the one that always followed Red around, was looking at the other pool, which was luckily free from the insane humans. Tempest sniffed the air, but this empty pool didn't have the sickening scent coming from it, in fact, there was a slight salty scent drifting up from this one. Strange, but luckily a bit more natural.

"You can go first if you want," Aoi told Red cheerfully, "I think you're better prepared for this gym than me," She was cradling her Spearow in her arms. Shou let out an unhappy coo, his wing still bandaged up from the fight back in Mount Moon. Tempest pitied the Pokemon, he would be unable to fight due to his injuries, and Tempest believed that being held back from a battle was one of the worst things that could happen.

Aiden was pressing up against Red, eyeing the pools unhappily with his blue eyes, and Tempest didn't blame him, these waters simply weren't natural. It's powerful scent was enough to tell her that it wasn't safe to drink, let alone get in. Tempest darted away from Red's side, looking over the edge and down into the empty pool. They were going battle water Pokemon, right? Did they live in here then? She didn't see any, and her nose twitched in annoyance, even if they did live in there how would she fight them? There was no way she was stepping foot into a chemical bath. Perhaps she could stand on those large flat things floating out in the water... They looked like mattresses from the Pokemon Center, but more rubbery. Tempest could see that they were anchored to the bottom of the pool with some kind of colorful rope, which explained why they weren't drifting about. There was six of them in total, spread out in even groups of two across the pool.

"Welcome to the Cerulean gym," A cheerful voice said from behind them, "I'm guessing from the Pokemon and lack of swimming gear that you're here for a battle?"

Tempest pulled her attention away from the pool, looking at the scrawny human that was approaching Red and Aoi. He only wore a pair of swim trunks, a towel draped over his shoulders and a whistle around his neck. A pair of glasses sat over his small nose, and he had a smile plastered on his face.

"Yes, both of us are!" Aoi said, taking a step towards the man.

The man let out a laugh, "Well, it's been sometime since we've had a challenger at the gym, and now we have two! This is wonderful!"

Aoi frowned, "Oh, I guess Forest didn't beat us here this time. That's weird," She looked over the man, "Are you the gym leader?"

He let out another laugh, "Oh no, I may know the rules of battle, but I'm not that good of a trainer," He glanced at Tempest as she looped over towards the humans, then back towards Aoi, "I'm simply a lifeguard and a battle judge for Misty, she's the gym leader here. She's not busy at the moment, so I can go get her for you."

"That's won't be necessary Calder, I'm already here," Tempest's ears perked up as she heard this voice. She hadn't even seen this human yet, but the Pikachu knew that she liked her. Tempest turned to study the orange haired woman approaching them, who had a hand on her hip. She worn a blue one-piece swimming suit, and a simple jacket that covered her shoulders. A small waterproof bag hung at her side, and small round shapes could been seen resting inside, "Hello," The woman said, scanning Red and Aoi, "I'm Misty, and welcome to my gym."

Yes, Tempest liked this woman. She didn't demand respect, she just simply radiated experience that took the respect right from you. She didn't necessarily have a sassy demeanor, but you knew that she was the leader of the humans around here, and she wasn't afraid to show it. Calder respectfully backed away as Misty took a few steps forward, looking at the bandaged-up Shou in Aoi's arms, then down towards Aiden.

"Hi! I'm Aoi, and we're here for a gym battle!" Aoi declared to Misty, excitement creeping into her voice. That was once thing Tempest could stand about Aoi, at least she knew that a battle was something worth while, "Red wants to go first," She pushed Red forward, who stumbled a few steps in surprised as he was suddenly shoved, and Tempest groaned. Didn't her trainer know anything about first impressions?!

"I'm always excited to accept challengers," Misty said, pausing, "...But I won't fight an injured Pokemon," She finished after a moment, nodding towards Shou.

Oh! This woman was glorious! She wouldn't even waste her clearly masterful skills on something like an injured opponent!

"Don't worry," Aoi said, planting a small kiss on Shou's head, who let out a small caw of warning at the touch, "Shou's here just to watch the battle, even if he can't fight right now. He wouldn't want to miss it!" The Spearow let out another sharp caw.

Misty nodded, then shifted her gaze to Red, "So you want to battle first? In that case, how many badges do you currently have?"

Tempest watched Red carefully as he shifted, paused, then held up one finger.

"Same for me!" Aoi added over Red's shoulder, who flinched.

"Very well then, you'll be facing my second tier team then, follow me," Misty turned, heading towards the second, empty pool. She pointed out across it, "This will be the battlefield. You may used the airspace above the pool, the water along with anything in it, and any of the floor surrounding the pool that's within the limits," She pointed to a bright blue line that wrapped around the area near the pool, putting about five feet between it and the edge of the pool, "This will be a two-on-two battle, substitutions allowed for the challenger. The winner will be decided when all of one's side is declared unable to battle."

"Madam!" Calder cried, "It's my job to explain the rules-"

Misty rolled her eyes, "I am not going to waste ten minutes of what could be battle time with you explaining when I can tell them the same thing in just a few seconds. Now just take up your position as judge," Misty gave Red a smile as Calder scampered away to do as she said, "He's a good battle judge, but is a bit too technical," She pointed to a small elevated platform at one end of the pool, "That's where you as the challenger will stand. I hope you don't mind, but often time visitors at the pool will watch," She nodded towards the other pool where all the humans were swimming.

Sure enough a few of them were looking in the direction of Misty, whispering to another. A few of them even exited the pool, slowly making their way towards them, shivering as water dripped from their bodies. As they approached Tempest could hear them muttering about how long it had been since Misty's battled in a gym match. Tempest didn't mind a crowd- that just meant more people to witness her victory against this powerful trainer!

Red on the other hand seemed wary with the forming crowd, looking towards Aiden as they mounted the small platform Misty had pointed out. Tempest followed them onto it, jumping up onto the small railing that lined one edge, probably to keep the trainer from falling into the pool. Shame, it would have been funny to push Aiden in.

Tempest looked out over the battlefield one more time, so she would be battling in the pool. Luckily the smell of chlorine wasn't quite as potent as when she first entered, and this pool seemed to lack it, but still, the water battle grounds were unappealing. It would look like she'd have to stay either on the edges of the pool, or jump between the floating islands. They were spaced apart, but she should be able to clear each jump with no problem. She didn't know if the same would hold true in the middle of a battle though. But then again, Red had allowed them to do some training before coming here, so they weren't completely unprepared.

Her heart shaped tail twitched in excitement, there was no way Aiden would be able to fight in this gym, that meant that this battle would be all hers!

She felt a wave of nervousness coming from Red, though like all of his other emotions it didn't affect her. She could feel them, but they didn't become part of her own, and Tempest was just fine with that. There was no way that she'd allow her interesting-yet-sometimes-cowardly trainer's emotions hold her back in this fight. She looked around once more, Aiden had stuck his head out between the bars of the railing, looking down at the water. He let out a whimper, then tried to draw his head back in.

"Char!" Aiden cried as his horn hit the upper bar, preventing him from withdrawing his head. The Charmeleon let out another panicked cry, trying to pull his head back again, the bar of the railing letting out a hollow echo as the horn was rammed against it. Tempest let out an annoyed growl, tightening her grip on the railing as it shook slightly. She darted over to where Aiden was, roughly grabbing the Charmeleon's head, twisting it to the side, allowing for the fire type to finally slip his head out from between the bars of the railing. He let out a thankful whimper, and Tempest simply rolled her eyes.

Misty was standing on a similar platform to them, but one that stood on the other side of the pool. She had slipped her hand into her bag, pulling out a blue Pokeball, holding it out. Calder stood on the side of the pool, on an elevated section of floor right outside of the blue line that marked the edge of the battlefield.

"This will be a two-on-two battle," Calder declared, and Aoi happily let out her other three Pokemon to watch the battle. Little Kiku rubbed her head against Aoi's leg, Riku was staring around the building in awe, while Mizu flopped about like the Magikarp he was, "The challenger may substitute, and the battle will be over when one side is unable to battle. Challenger get the first move," He waved his hand down dramatically, and from across the pool Tempest could see Misty roll her eyes, "Battle, begin!"

"Goldeen!" Misty called, throwing her Pokeball up. The water type appeared, spinning around in mid air, before turning and diving straight into the pool, barely making a splash. The Goldeen resurfaced next to one of the floating islands, looking calmly towards their platform. Tempest stamped her feet excitedly, while Red gave the crowd around the pool a nervous glance once more. It wasn't even that large, perhaps a dozen or so people. Everyone else remained in the other pool swimming, taking advantage of the now nearly-empty pool.

Tempest sparked her cheeks, waiting for Red to give her that wonderful signal to enter the battle. To leapt forward and release her strongest Thundershock, or perhaps wrap it all up with a single Volt Tackle... No, she was going to savor this battle, enjoy the thrill of this fight- because it was all hers!

"Bell!"

Tempest flinched, the call hadn't been particularly loud, but with the quietness that was in the gym at the moment before the battle, combined with the sheer unexpectedness, caused people to jump as it echoed throughout the room. Tempest whipped around, looking for the source of the creature who dared interrupt her moment to enter her glorious battle! Her glare settled on the entrance to the gym, where the automatic doors were sliding shut as a small green creature passed through.

The Bellsprout shuffled uncertainly as everyone turned to look at her, lowering her yellow head. She glanced about, until her small black eyes settled onto Red. The Bellsprout blinked, along with Red, and Tempest felt a rush of confusion come from Red. The grass type perked up slightly, then made her way forward, swaying with each step.

"Bell, bell, bell..." She sang with each step, people moving out of her way as she came passed them. Tempest sparked her cheeks in anger, this pathetic little thing had interrupted her battle?! Forget fighting the water types, Tempest was ready to Thundershock this little weed instead!

"Chu..." Tempest growed as the Bellsprout reached the base of the platform, warning her to stay back.

"Sprout!" She called back, and then began hopping up each step. With a frown on his face, Red knelt down as the Bellsprout reached the final step, waddling up to Red eagerly. The small grass type stood in front of him, jumping up and down excitedly, "Sprout bell, bellsprout sprout!" She said happily, eyes looking up into Red's eyes.

The teen reached out a hand, touching the top of the Bellsprout's head, who went still. Red closed his eyes, focusing, and Tempest knew he was using his weird powers again. After several moments he withdrew his hand, looking at the Bellsprout with a strange look, then nodded. The Bellsprout's eyes lit up as Red slipped off his backpack, pulling out a Pokeball. Tempest's eyes widened as Red pressed the sphere against the top of the Bellsprout, and the Pokeball opened up, turning the grass type into a burst of red light. The Pokemon was drawn into the Pokeball, which snapped shut, shaking in Red's hand for a moment. The sphere went still, letting out a _ding_ as the Bellsprout was caught.

Red then stood up, walking over to the edge of the railing, holding out the Pokeball, and released the newly caught Bellsprout out onto the battlefield.

"_Pika?!"_ Tempest screamed in shock, eyes wide and her small jaw hanging open. The Bellsprout gave a happy hop, seemingly unbothered by the bobbing of the the plastic island she was standing on, swaying side to side.

No. This wasn't happening. This was _her _battle, not this stupid weed's! Tempest spun around to face Red, cheeks sparking harder than ever. She let out a low growl, telling Red to put her in the battle right now. She knew that Red would give in when pushed, everything was going to be fine-

Red's bright crimson eyes flickered in her direction, and she felt a simple thought enter her mind:

_No._

Red's order was simple, but surprising enough that the Pikachu paused. She sat there for a moment, not sure of what to do. Part of her was angry that he dared to keep her out of this battle, but another part was startled. Red had always cowered at the sight of her electricity, a few sparks and he was putty in her paws, but it hadn't worked this time. Pride welled up in Tempest, her trainer had finally had finally found the guts to not be pushed around so easily!

But she was still annoyed with not being in the battle.

Tempest looked at Red one more time, then sighed, sitting down on the railing. She supposed that she had already decided to listen to this kid, and she respected him holding his ground that she wouldn't push this issue. For now.

She still wanted to battle though.

Tempest looked down at the Bellsprout, hoping that Misty would take it out quickly.

* * *

"...Did that Bellsprout just come in here to be caught by you?" Misty asked, staring at the grass type in surprise.

Red shifted, nodding his head. This had been the same Bellsprout he had met yesterday, back in the forest when facing off against William. She had been the one to numb his bite from the Arcanine with a Sleep Powder, making the pain bearable until Professor Oak had taken him to the doctor's. According to what the Bellsprout had told him when he had briefly touched her mind, she had been following him since, through Cerulean and even all the way to Bill's.

Misty shifted, "Well... That's... strange, I suppose..." She shook her head, composing herself and giving Red a smile, "In that case, I'm excited to see what kind of trainer you are. You get the first move."

Red looked down at the Bellsprout he had sent out into the battlefield. She seemed very limited, surrounded by all the water, but she did looked eager to battle. Red closed his eyes, realizing that he had no way to battle using this Bellsprout, it didn't know his snapping comands, and he didn't know it's moves. With a small sigh, Red reached out to the grass type mentally, asking her to attack.

There was a glow at the base of her leaf-like arms, and two vines started to grow from there. The Bellsprout lashed out with the Vine Whip, aiming right for the Goldeen, who quickly dove under the water to dodge the attack.

"Water Pulse, now!" Misty ordered, and the Goldeen rose up on the other side of the island, releasing a sphere of water at Bellsprout. The grass type let out a call of surprise as she was struck, stumbling forwards and turning around, lashing out with Vine Whip again, only for the Goldeen to sink back beneath the waves, "Peck!"

The sleek water type leapt out of the water, now behind the Bellsprout once more, her horn glowing light blue. The flying type move struck the grass type, sending Bellsprout flying forward and into the water. The Goldeen landed on the floating island, closing her eyes and pulling her fins up. The Goldeen slid across the slick plastic like it were ice, plopping back into the water on the other side, free to swim about once more.

Red shifted uncertainly, realizing one of the many challenges of a gym battle, the Pokemon he was fighting against not only knew the battlefield, but it was designed for their type. Bellsprout floundered in the water, trying to get to another island, while the Goldeen gracefully swam towards her, horn gleaming with another Peck.

"Use Peck from below," Misty ordered, and the Goldeen rose up from the bottom of the pool, striking the Bellsprout, sending her flying into the air. The Bellsprout quickly lashed out with her Vine Whip, using the vines to pull herself towards another one of the islands as she fell. She skittered across the slippery surface, wrapping her vines around the edge to keep herself from flying off once more. The Bellsprout struggled to her feet, shaking slightly, eyes darting about as water dripped from her leaves.

Red's gut twisted, he felt just like he had when he had first started this journey. Unable to direct his Pokemon, and not quite sure of what he was doing in the battle. He hadn't realize how in sync he was with his other Pokemon, he and Aiden battled together with no effort, and even if he wasn't the closest to Tempest, he at least knew how she felt. He didn't know how to read Bellsprout though, or how she battled. Clearly she was plant-like Pokemon like Kiku, Aoi's Bulbasaur, he could tell that just by looking at her.

Biting his lip, Red tried to think back on the few times he had seen the undersized Bulbasaur in battle. The most recent time had been back in Mount Moon, when fighting against the Rockets...

Taking a deep breath, Red focused his energy towards Bellsprout. No matter how exhausting direct communication was, it was the only way he was going to get through this battle. He started off by sending the simple feeling of 'calm' at Bellsprout, even if he wasn't quite feeling that way himself, but they weren't going to get anywhere otherwise. The small Bellsprout was dancing around the island, fearfully waiting for the Goldeen to strike again.

The grass type froze as her and Red's emotions clashed, hesitating, but then going still. Red remembered how Kiku had used spore-based attacks when fighting against the Raticate, and he knew that this Bellsprout had access to those as well since it had use Sleep Powder on him yesterday... Reaching out towards Bellsprout, he gave the suggestion of using spores rather than full out attacking. The Bellsprout swayed for a moment, then nodded, her head expanding as if she had just taken in a deep breath.

Goldeen leapt out of the water once more, preparing a Water Pulse at Misty's order. Bellsprout darted forward, releasing a plume of dark purple spores from head. The Poison Powder covered the Goldeen, the Water Pulse dispersing before it was even launched.

"Get back into the water!" Misty ordered, the Goldeen diving back into the water in hopes of washing away the poisonous spores, but as the Goldeen resurfaced, you could see a purple tinge running along her scales, she was poisoned. Red smiled, remembering how Aiden had been when poisoned back in Viridian forest, being worn down much quicker in battle. He hoped the same would hold true for the Goldeen.

"Bell!" Bellsprout cried happily, looking up towards Red. He gave the new Pokemon a small nod, making her flush with pride. She then turned, finally landing a Vine Whip on the Goldeen as she skimmed the surface of the water.

"Chu..." Tempest growled in annoyance, and Red tried not to flinch. Though he was trying to hide it, the Pikachu's electricity still scared him at times. She had never purposely harmed him before, but Red just couldn't help but be wary. Unlike Father's Persian, Tempest seemed to spark electricity more often than just preparing an attack, it was a way to express herself. Even with this knowledge in mind, it had taken all of his willpower to stand his ground when he had captured the Bellsprout, and he was surprised that it had paid off. He wasn't worried about Tempest attacking him, but he had been worried of falling victim to his memories once more.

Refocusing his gaze on the battle, Red sent out a silent request for the Bellsprout to attack with her vines, snapping once with his fingers. The grass type complied, two vines growing out as she prepared the Vine Whip again.

"Under the water," Misty said, and the Goldeen dove under the surface before Bellsprout could lash out at her. The water type gym leader shifted, eyes narrowed in thought. From what Red understood, gym leaders were highly experienced trainers, but used less experienced Pokemon in these gym battles. Maybe he lacked the skill that Misty had, so he had to rely on his Pokemon's strength. Now with her Goldeen poisoned, Misty was now stuck on a timer until it fainted, "Ram the island with Horn Attack," Misty finally ordered after a moment of consideration.

Red could faintly see the Goldeen darting under the water, rising and slamming into the small floating island that Bellsprout was resting on. Due it being anchored to the bottom of the pool, the small island wasn't sent across the pool. But still, as the Goldeen rammed into it, the plastic island shook, sending the small Bellsprout skittering across it's surface as she tried to find balance, her root-like feet attempting to find some friction as the Goldeen slammed into it again.

Red quickly snapped, mostly trying to get Bellsprout to stop panicking, and she briefly looked back towards him. Red stiffened as he felt her desperate emotions striking against his, and it wasn't fear that she was feeling as she stumbled near the edge; it was shame. The Bellsprout had been wanting to impress him in this battle, he could sense the confidence she had with her type advantage over the water types slowly fading away as she realized that she didn't have the power to win this match.

The Goldeen rammed into the island again, sending the Bellsprout stumbling towards the water. The Goldeen turned, quickly rushing to meet the grass type as almost she fell into the water. Red gave a small smile at this, silently requesting the Bellsprout to ready her Vine Whip again.

Two vines grew out once more from the leaves, and within a few moments Bellsprout had regained her balance on the island, swaying back and forth like she always did, but this time to the rhythm of the bobbing of the water. The poisoned Goldeen burst out of the pool, clearly expecting a command to attack from Misty, horn poised to strike Bellsprout with a Peck.

"Under the water!" Misty cried, but too late, the Bellsprout lashed out with her vines, dragging the water type up onto the island with her. The Goldeen flopped about in a panic trying to reach the pool water again, while Bellsprout struck with her Vine Whip. The Goldeen cried out as the super effective move hit her, but allowed the momentum to push her back into the water. She quickly dove under the waves, wincing as the poison sapped away at her health. Red watched as she skimmed below the surface, noticeably much slower than she had been at the beginning of the battle.

It was interesting, while the Pokemon in Brock's gym had just followed the basic comands given, the ones here in Misty's gym seemed to know what to expect from her on some level, often preparing to attack before the command itself was given. It gave Red more of a challenge, but at the same time it wasn't foolproof. Like he had just witnessed, if he struck at the right time the Pokemon might over-guess what was coming next, which had finally allowed Bellsprout to get some advantage.

Red looked down at the newest addition to his small team. She was still balancing on the floating island, which wasn't as rough as the waves in the pool calmed down. Red saw the exhaustion in the little grass type's eyes though, and he knew this battle was beyond her. He could feel a small headache pulsing in the back of his mind, the limits of his powers slowly catching up to him. It was his ability to give silent comands that had allowed Bellsprout to keep up until now, since Misty didn't know what was coming. If he had spoken the comands then he knew that Misty would have been able to counter any strategy with his new Pokemon with ease.

But even with the Goldeen poisoned, Red knew this round was at the end for him. Misty scanned the battle before her, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Water Pulse," She ordered, and her Goldeen began swimming towards the surface, "They have no way to counter that."

The Goldeen sprang up into the air, lacking the same surge of energy she had before. Nevertheless, Misty's command proved to be effective, the sphere of water slammed into Bellsprout despite her attempts to block it with a Vine Whip. She was already too close to the edge to find her balance, and the Water Pulse send Bellsprout flying into the water.

Red felt the Bellsporut's panic beginning to rise, and she began to thrash in the water once more. The Goldeen sped towards Bellsprout in excitement, not even waiting for a command from Misty to strike with Peck.

"Bell!" Bellsprout cried as the horn slammed into her.

"_Goldeen,"_ Misty said in a tone that made Red freeze up. The Goldeen paused, then slowly sank below the waves, obediently waiting for another command, as to not get caught up in the battle again. Bellsprout looked uncertainly towards Red, while Aiden slowly backed away. The Charmeleon lowered himself to the ground, while Red's heart began to beat harder in his chest. The boy placed his hands on a the rail, taking in a deep breath.

He was fine, he knew this. He could feel memories bubbling up in the back of his mind, slowly trying to press their way to the front of his head, but he wasn't going to let them take over. Not now, not from one little tone he had heard!

He cut off his connection to his Pokemon, taking in another keep breath as he quietly got his emotions under control. The Bellsprout struggled back towards the island, her leaf-like arms failing to give her a good grip to climb with.

"Bell?" Bellsprout called uncertainly as she felt Red's presence withdraw, leaving her alone in the water. Goldeen flinched as the poison ate away at her endurance, skimming the surface as she waited for another command, not rushing into attacking this time.

Misty was watched Red closely, a curious look in her cool eyes. Red shivered at the silence within the gym, even the crowd had quieted down. You could hear the water from the pool lapping up against the sides, choppy waves sprouting from where Bellsprout was struggling. There was a worn look in her eyes, and finally she settled down into the water, realizing she didn't have the energy to get up, let alone finish the battle.

"For a Pokemon you just caught," Misty said, "I'm very impressed with the battle so far," She looked over Bellsprout, "Normally I would have something to say for the lack of communication, but for an untrained Pokemon she does seem to rely on you," Misty snapped her fingers, "Goldeen, finish this up with a Peck."

The Goldeen turned and raced towards the stranded Bellsprout, horn surrounded with a blue glow. Bellsprout once again struggled to get back on the island, but Red knew that she didn't have the energy to pull off the task. The Goldeen rammed into her, sending the Bellsprout across the water. Still struggling with the poison, the Goldeen looked hopefully at the Bellsprout, huffing as her energy was sapped again.

"Bellsprout is unable to battle!" Calder declared after watching the fallen Bellsprout floating in the water. Goldeen gave a happy cry, doing a flip out of the water before landing back into the pool. She winced, before swimming back towards Misty's end of the pool.

The crowd cheered for Misty as Red held out the Bellsprout's Pokeball, recalling her back into the sphere. He reaimed the Pokeball as soon as she was draw back in, releasing her once more into his arms.

Bellsprout weakly opened one eye as she found herself out of the Pokeball so soon. She turned, brushing up against Red's bandage from the Arcanine bite. The Bellsprout looked down in shame, waves of disappointment coming from her. She had been confidant in this battle, confidant in her strength and type advantage, but she hadn't even been able to defeat the gym leader's weakest Pokemon.

Red gently pressed a finger against the Bulbasaur's head, sending a single word into her mind. Tempest and Aiden faintly heard it as well, but none of the other Pokemon in the gym were close enough to Red to be able to pick up on it.

_Cleo._

The Bellsprout blinked at her new name, while Tempest gave a snort. Aiden gave a happy chitter, all of the Pokemon knowing what the name meant. The newly named Cleo gave out a happy call, realizing that she was still being accepted onto the team despite her lost.

"Um... I guess Misty's Goldeen is unable to battle as well..." Calder called out uncertainly after a moment. All eyes turned to the pool, where they could see that the poison had taken it's final toll on the Goldeen, causing it to have faint. Cleo perked up a little, realizing that she had indeed taken out her opponent.

"Chu..." Tempest growled as the Goldeen was recalled, stamping her feet.

Misty smiled, "Looks like we're both down to our last Pokemon," She pulled out another Pokeball, "Here's my ace for this match- Starmie."

The purple Pokemon was released out onto the floating island nearest to Misty, it's bright red gem gleaming in the sunlight streaming in from the large windows. The Starmie didn't make a sound, looking almost alien as it waved its arms slowly about, as the crowd muttered excitedly.

"Pika?"

Red glanced towards the Pikachu, who's coppery eyes were focused straight at him. Her cheeks sparked, but not in an aggressive manner. Rather she seemed to be waiting, mild respect smoldering in her eyes. Red gave the electric type a small smile as he watched her tail twitched, unable to hide the desperation for this battle.

Red nodded, and a smirk crossed the Pikachu's face.

"Pikapika!" She cried, leaping off of the railing she had been sitting on. The agile Pikachu sprang down onto the nearest island with no effort, running and leaping to the next one. She landed on the one right in front of the Starmie, pausing to find her balance. Tempest took up a battling position, cheeks sparking with excitement, "Chu!"

"Begin!" Calder cried.

* * *

**So Bellsprout finally joins the team! Like Red mentioned, she the same Bellsprout from back in chapter 12. If you actually read chapters 13 and 14 carefully you can find small mentions of Cleo as she follows (stalks) Red.**

**I changed up Misty's team a bit from her in-game team, because honestly where's the fun of fighting the same two Pokemon in the row- even if one's evolved. That's why I gave her a Goldeen instead of Staryu**

**Next chapter- Tempest vs Starmie!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Over 100 followers! Thank you guys! :D**

**Enjoy chapter sixteen!**

* * *

"Come on Shelly! Another Water Gun, aim for it's flames or something!" Forest snapped at his Pokemon.

The Squirtle huffed, trembling as she got to her feet. She glared back at her trainer, brown eyes gleaming unhappily, but her attention was soon drawn back into the battle at hand as the Rapidash came charging at her, rearing up on her hind legs as she prepared to bring a Stomp attack down on the Squirtle. Shelly didn't even give Forest a chance to give her an order, and retreated into her shell with a Withdraw.

Her shell shuddered at the force of the blow, and the Rapidash charged at her as she stayed hidden, now completely surrounded with fire. The Flame Charge sent the shell flying, while increasing the Rapidash's speed. Shelly came out of her shell as she roughly landed, half heartedly firing a Water Gun at the horse Pokemon before Forest could criticized her for not obeying.

The fire type didn't even look affected by the attack.

The Rapidash glanced back at her trainer, their blazing red eyes meeting. The Rapidash clearly didn't want to battle her.

"Lad," The older trainer said, closing his eyes, running a hand through his graying hair, "You know that your Squirtle can't win this battle, are you really going to continue?"

Forest glared at the older man, "She's still standing, Shelly can still battle! Give them a Bite!"

Shelly growled in annoyance, but still ran forward, jaws gleaming with dark energy as she leapt up, aiming for the Rapidash's throat. The fire type snorted, the horn on it's head suddenly growing as it gleamed in a light green light, charging to meet Shelly with a Megahorn. Her shell protected her from the worst of the damage, but the sheer power of the attack sent Shelly flying back once more. She pulled into her shell just in time, roughly hitting the ground.

"You aren't even giving your Pokemon comands!" Forest shouted. The older man gave him a small smile, leaning up against a nearby tree.

"There is more than one way to battle, lad," He said, watching Forest closely, "Besides, don't complain, you're the one that challenged me."

The Rapidash came charging through the forest clearing, right at Shelly. She winced as the Rapidash's hind legs hit her with a Stomp. One moment they had been training in the forest for their gym battle, and the next thing she knew Forest had challenged some random old man to a battle. He clearly thought it would be an easy match, but the Rapidash was in league of her own.

"Hmph," Forest snorted at his Squirtle, "Can't even beat a fire type?"

"Tle..." Shelly stiffened in anger. She didn't care that her parents and their trainer had told her to be patient with Forest! She was sick of his attitude! She wasn't on the same power level with these Pokemon- but she was far from weak! Shelly let out a low growl, pushing herself to her feet just as she began to glow, "Squirt!"

Forest took a step back in surprise as he watched his Squirtle become highlighted in the light of evolution. She slowly began to grow bigger, her shell thickening and hardening as the glow progressed. A pair of ears sprouted up on her head, her tail growing longer and fluffier. Shelly clenched her fists, her small fingers growing into short, sharp claws. The evolutionary light faded, and newly evolved Wartortle standing where the Squirtle had once been.

Forest grinned, looking over the dark blue Pokemon, "Awesome," He said, pulling out his Pokedex. Letting out a low call, Shelly sped forward, forming a Water Pulse in front of her mouth, launching it at the Rapidash. She flinched as she was hit, and the older man frowned.

The Rapidash gave her trainer a nod, like he had said something to her, then raised her head up. Shelly paused, watching her horn glow green once more, but this wasn't a Megahorn attack. She seemed to be gathering energy, as if drawing in the sunlight gleaming down through the trees...

Shelly's eyes widened at the same time as Forest's, "Shelly, get out of there!" He suddenly cried as he watched the Solar Beam be charged up. Shelly stumbled back, but the Rapidash was much quicker, lowering her horn, and released the powerful beam of energy. Shelly quickly ducked into her new shell, but she knew it would be enough to protect her from the grass type move.

Her whole vision flared white as the Solar Beam struck, and Shelly winced, bracing her for pain and being launched back.

But she didn't move.

Shelly paused, then drew her head out of her shell uncertainly. The Rapidash was standing a few paces away, watching her with an even look. Shelly looked down, gulping. The earth in front of her had been scorched with the Solar Beam.

The attack had missed her by inches.

The older man lowered his head, "And I believe we should end the match there."

"What?!" Forest cried, "You missed on purpose! Shelly can keep going, she just-"

"Evolution won't save you this match," The old man snapped, "I missed to prove a point. You knew that move would take out your Pokemon, meaning you know her limits. You told her to get out of the way, meaning that you care about her," The man sat up, "Now lad, if you truly do care for your Pokemon, then act like it. Your Squirtle did not evolve for you- she did for herself."

"What do you mean?" Forest snapped.

The man shook his head, "It means your Pokemon is not putting trust in you during a battle," He said, and the man walked forward. He looked down at Shelly with a gentle gaze, his crimson eyes gleaming. He knelt down, touching her head, and Shelly felt herself going still. For a moment all of her rage was gone, replaced by the wonderful feeling of peace.

Then the man took his hand away and the peaceful feeling vanished.

"She listens to me!" Forest cried, "Of course she trusts me- right Shelly?" The Wartortle refused to meet her trainer's eyes, "...Shelly...?"

The old man sighed, "Being a good trainer doesn't mean being harsh and pushing them to their limits. Being a good trainer means understanding your Pokemon, giving them comands that help _them_ in battle- not ones that help you win. Being a good trainer means knowing when to quit," The man turned, approaching his Rapidash, who lowered herself to the ground, allowing the man to mount her, "Me and Garnet here have been partners for years, and we'd do anything for each other in a heartbeat. Is the same true for you and your Pokemon?"

Forest hesitated, "I-"

"Trust comes before power," The man said as Garnet pushed herself to her feet, "Give your Pokemon trust first, and you'd be surprised what they'll give you in return. Think about."

Forest took in these words in silence, and Shelly half expected him to reject the advice and say something cold to the man, but instead Forest looked up into the man's bright red eyes, "...Alright..." Forest said, and Shelly flinched in surprise, "I'll- I'll give that a try."

The man smiled, "That's another sign of a good trainer, one that is willing to learn. What's your name?"

"...Forest..." Forest grunted.

The man nodded, "Good name, one that respects nature. Tell me Forest, why are you pushing your Pokemon so hard? Just to be strong, or do you have a goal in mind?"

Forest shifted, a familiar scowl appearing on his face. He hesitated, then spoke in a cold voice, "I-it's personal," He snapped, "But I need to be strong enough to face Team Rocket. T-they... They tore my f-family apart," He whispered.

The older man's face went dark, "...I'm sorry to hear that, Forest," He muttered, looking away, and his Rapidash paced nervously. Forest looked up at the man, frowning as he continued speaking, "...You're not the only one to have your family ruined by Rocket..." He looked away, tears stinging his eyes, "...They took my daughter from me... That's why I'm traveling through Kanto. I'm hoping to find her..."

Forest's gaze softened, "I'm sorry..."

The man gave him a tight smile, "Not your fault, Forest lad. Thank you for telling me your story, though I best be on my way. I wish you the best of luck with your Pokemon and your family."

"Same to you," Forest replied, and Shelly was surprised by the respect she heard in his voice. The man wheeled his Rapidash around, "Um- Sir- what's your name?" Forest called after him.

The man paused, smiling, "My name is Aiden."

And with that his Rapidash took off running, leaving only a trail of dust behind as she raced through the forest.

* * *

"Begin!" Calder cried, bringing his arm down, signaling for the second round of Red's gym battle to begin.

Tempest lowered herself into a charging position, her red cheeks sparking with electricity. The Starmie didn't react, its body swaying quietly, the gem on its body flickering. Tempest flicked an ear, and Red snapped his fingers.

"Chu!" Tempest cried, releasing a Thundershock at the water type.

"Dodge it," Misty said, and suddenly the Starmie was speeding backwards, diving off of the island and into the pool. The Thundershock hit the plastic island, which quickly absorbed the attack. Tempest took a step back in surprise, the creature looked so slow and alien, but now the Starmie a speeding bullet. Like a shuriken it shot out of the water, landing on the plastic floating island behind Tempest, swaying slowly once more as if nothing had happened, "Psywave."

Misty's orders were simple, but the Starmie responded with such rapid and quick movements that showed its experience of battle. The Starmie's gem glowed a dark violet, releasing a burst of psychic energy. The attack was wide spread, meaning that the only way to dodge the attack would be to dive under the water. Tempest gritted her teeth as the psychic burst rushed by her, sending chills down her spill as she dug her feet into the island. A small pulse of pain was forming at the base of her forehead, but she held her ground.

_Snap. Snap._

Surrounding herself in silver energy, Tempest raced forward with a Quick Attack, responding to Red's snapping comands with ease. She slammed into the Starmie, pulling back as she kept her eyes on the creature. It hadn't even responded to the attack, its many arms waving like seaweed under the water. It showed no emotion, made no sound.

The Starmie launched a Water Pulse, which Tempest quickly dispersed with a Thundershock after a quick snap from Red. While she had found Red's silence almost annoying at first, she was slowly starting to realize that she preferred it compared to how other trainers battled. She still got the guidance of a trainer, but she didn't have some human yelling orders at her from across the room. Tempest picked up her speed with another Quick Attack, soaring across floating islands, doing her best to stay balanced. Luckily her small and swift form made it so the bobbing motions of the island in the water didn't affect her much as long as she kept moving. She was starting to fall into a pattern with her running, darting across the limited islands, ears up so she could hear Red if he were to order her into an attack.

"Rapid Spin," Misty said, and suddenly the Starmie was racing at Tempest, easily keeping pace with the small Pikachu as it spun through the air. It slammed into Tempest, sending the mouse into the water. Shivers raced through her as the water soaked the small mouse, small panicked breaths escaping her as she surfaced. Her side hurt where the Rapid Spin had hit, the water type's many arms had felt almost like blades when it spinned that fast. Paddling towards the nearest island, Tempest glared at the Starmie. It had once again gone still, simply waiting for another order.

Tempest struggled to drag herself up onto the floating island, trying hard not to slip back into the pool. The Starmie made no move to attack, so Tempest did her best to shake the water from her fur. Sure she had cross a few streams in her time in the wild, but she most certainly didn't like this! Squaring her paws in front of her, Tempest felt her cheeks start to crackle with electricity. Who cared about a long epic battle- she was more than ready to knock this starfish out with a single hit!

"Pika... Pika..." She growled quietly, slowly gathering electricity around her entire body, ears going back. The electric current took hold of her, sparking as she tried to contain the vast among of energy around her. The Starmie's gem flickered warily, while Misty's eyes widened slightly. Tempest sped forward, the Volt Tackle crackling at full power, "Pika... pika... CHU!" She cried, ramming straight into the Starmie, who hadn't attempted to dodge in Misty's silence.

Tempest released the Volt Tackle all at once, the electricity quickly being drawn into the water type's body as Tempest clung to one of the upper arms of the creature. The force of Tempest's attack had sent both Pokemon into the water, Starmie's gem blinking weakly. Tempest gritted her teeth as the remains of the Volt Tackle washed over her. As much as she loved this attack, she still hadn't found a way to keep herself from getting hurt when using it.

Tempest pushed away from the Starmie before they sank below the waves, quickly swimming back to one of the islands. She did her best not to look down, she hated how she could see the bottom of the deep pool... This water was too clear to be natural! Clinging to one of the islands, Tempest looked over to see if the Starmie was down. Volt Tackle had rarely failed Tempest, and there was no way a water type had survived!

"Recover," Misty muttered, eyes locked on the Pikachu. Tempest's eyes widened as she watched the weakened Starmie jump out of the water, surrounded in a faint green glow as it started to heal.

"Pika!" Tempest cried, releasing a Thundershock, but that was nothing next to the Volt Tackle. The glow faded around it faded, and the Starmie stood up on the island, at full health once more. Tempest could only stare- this was a water type wasn't it?! They were weak to her attacks!

"How did you get a Pikachu with Volt Tackle?" Misty asked, taking her gaze away from the battle and looking towards Red. He shifted, looking down at Tempest, shrugging. Tempest was breathing heavily, why did everyone question her move? Her colony-mates had, and now all the humans! "As far as I know Surge was the last person in Kanto breeding them, and he hasn't done that for at least a year since a Rocket attack!"

"Chu..." Tempest snarled, shaking more water off of her, cheeks sparking. This battle wasn't over yet! She released another Thundershock, hoping to do something to the Starmie. The strange creature was clearly taking damage, but it didn't seem to do much. A growl got caught in Tempest's throat, and she quickly began forming another Volt Tackle- she needed to take this thing out _now!_

The Starmie stayed perfectly still as Tempest came speeding across the islands with the second Volt Tackle, electricity sparking from her body as she gained speed. The humans quickly snapped their attention back toward the battle as the crowd let out a small cry, watching Tempest throw everything into Volt Tackle once more, crashing into Starmie.

"Quickly, use Recover again!" Misty cried, watching Tempest swing around, releasing a Thundershock despite the recoil she was feeling. Tempest muttered a curse as she watched Starmie be surrounded in the green glow of Recover. Tempest stumbled forward, the island bobbing beneath her. Misty smiled, "A powerful move, but Starmie's defense power is simply too high for your Pikachu."

"Chu-pika!" Tempest cried, rushing forward with a Quick Attack, hating the Starmie as it showed off its speed once more, dodging at Misty's order, forming a Water Pulse.

Tempest turned, attempting to dodge, but the Water Pulse hit her in the head as she leapt up, sending her flying into the water. Tempest struggled and closed her eyes at the stinging water as she was dragged below the waves, the water closing in around her. She didn't dare open her eyes, so instead she lashed out under the pool, trying to find some way up.

She froze as she felt Red's emotions reaching out towards her, and she felt her anger spiking. Calm?! Why was he calm?! They were losing the battle- she was under the water! She would give him a Thundershock right now if she was close enough.

It took Tempest a moment to realize that Red _wasn't _calm however- she could vaguely sense his panic. So why was she sensing calm...? Tempest's lungs were starting to burn, but she understood what Red wanted- he wanted _her_ to calm down. He wasn't able to force the emotion on her like he could with other Pokemon, so he asking her instead. Heart racing, Tempest stopped struggling. She had only been underwater for maybe thirty seconds, but it felt like it had been much longer to Tempest.

_Your tail is towards the surface._ She heard the words faintly in her mind. Eyes still closed, Tempest shifted her tail, then flipped herself around, paddling up towards what she hoped to be the surface. She was surprised at how easy it was to push her body up through the water- she had always assumed that she would sink like a stone.

Tempest took in a huge breath of air as she reached the surface, happily drawing in the oxygen she so desperately needed, "Cha!" She cried, opening her eyes to locate an island to swim too. Tempest blinked after a moment, confusion rushing through her. Why wasn't she seeing anything...? Well, she could see _something_\- but it was just all a blue blur. Panic started to take hold, she knew that she was at the surface, she was breathing, but everything was just a blur of blue and white. She flickered her ears up, treading water, but every sound didn't sound right. Distorted and echoey, she could hear noises, but she couldn't identify what was happening. She heard a sharp call, the words muffled, and she turned in time to see a speeding purple blur coming at her.

Starmie's Rapid Spin sent Pikachu flying out of the water, landing roughly on one of the islands. Tempest kept blinking, trying to understand what was going on- why couldn't she see?! Her tail was up in alarm, and she shuffled back, not quite sure where in the gym she was. She heard another muffled sound, one that seemed vaguely familiar... Tempest cocked her head, was that Red snapping...?

"Pika!" Tempest cried as a Water Pulse nicked her in the side. She was sent skittering near the water, but her paws managed to find some leverage to keep her from falling back into the pool. More echoey snapping, she could hear it, but it just didn't sound right... And Tempest couldn't bring herself to move, not when she couldn't see a thing. What was happening...?

Tempest tensed as she heard another strange muffled call- the same one she had heard before the Rapid Spin. Tempest turned, springing into a Quick Attack in the direction she believed that Starmie had come from before. Her head slammed into the side of the pool, pain rushing through Tempest as she slid back into the water, only to be then be hit by another Rapid Spin.

What was going on?!

_Tempest!_

She paused as she heard Red's voice in her mind. She knew that this was exhausting to him, and normally she hated the way he could intrude into her mind, but she was so thankful to be able to hear something familiar, something that wasn't these muffled and echoed sounds that she fully embraced Red into her mind, not pushing him away like she normally did.

She tensed as she heard another muffled call from what she believed to be Misty.

_Go to the side now!_ Red cried in her mind, and she pushed away from the edge of the pool, allowing the waves to carry her a ways. She heard an echoey _thud_\- it sounded like Starmie had hit the side of the pool like she had.

Tempest kept her tail touching wall of the pool, since she still couldn't see where she was. Tempest wished she could understand what was happening, but everything was just a mass of blue and muffled sounds. She didn't dare leap into another attack, not wanting to hurt herself again.

_Electric attack- quickly!_ Red cried, and Tempest powered up a Thundershock without hesitation, filling the air and water around her with a burst of electricity. She saw a flicker of red light within the blue blur. Starmie's gem perhaps? _Again- it's not moving away! It's sparking like you!_

Tempest grinned, sparking just like her? Tempest knew what that meant, it happened time to time when she battled non-electric Pokemon. When so much electricity had been forced into their bodies that it overwhelmed their muscles to the point where they could barely move- and sometimes they couldn't even move at all.

Tempest released another Thundershock, trusting Red that the Starmie was still in range. Now paralyzed, the Starmie's speed was next to nothing, making the water type unable to get away. Tempest hoped it could possible be enough to keep it from using Recover again.

_Swim straight ahead,_ Red told Tempest, _there is an island straight ahead._

Tempest hesitated, blinking her eyes some more. Everything was still blurry, but she was starting to see more colors and basic shapes. She could see a green blob somewhere in front of her. After a moment Tempest pressed off against the wall, paddling towards the green blur. Swimming wasn't that hard, she found herself able to float up on the water with ease as along as she took deep breaths, and the blurriness was starting to fade. She reached the green mass, feeling her front paws hit a rubbery surface that she knew was the island Red had been talking about. She dragged herself up onto it, shaking water from her fur.

Tempest ear the sound of her ears popping, some water slipping out from her ears. She jumped back, slightly startled as sounds snapped back to normal all at once. She could hear the water slapping against the sides of the pool, Misty hastily shouting comands at her Starmie, and the excitement of the crowd.

"It's starting to snap out of it's confusion!" Misty called, "Hit it with another Water Pulse!"

Tempest tensed, guessing that the strange state she had been in was the 'confusion' Misty was referring too- and it had happened after being hit by a Water Pulse. Red mentally told her to duck, so Tempest did, lowering herself to the island as a Water Pulse was launched over head. Tempest blinked as she stood up, her vision returning. It still wasn't perfect, but Tempest could now make out the shapes of the objects around her, and the distance they were away from her. Tempest grinned, watching the Starmie struggle to get onto another island due to her paralysis. Tempest lowered herself into a charging position.

_Better?_ Red asked, his voice sounding fainter. Tempest gave him a quick nod, and she heard the familiar sounds of snapping coming from him. _Smash it._

Tempest sprang forward, paw glowing orange with Rock Smash. Tempest landed on top of the Starmie, bringing a fist down on its gem. She then sprang onto the island Starmie was struggling to get to, releasing a Thundershock.

"Use Recover!" Misty shouted, but Tempest simply sprang back into another Rock Smash. The Starmie winced as its paralysis acted up, preventing it from healing up with Recover. Tempest smirked, striking with another Rock Smash.

"Chu!" She cried, releasing another Thundershock.

"...You realize that Starmie is a psychic type as well, right?" Misty asked, "Rock Smash will do next to nothing, and we have already proven that your electric type moves are not strong enough to take down Starmie. And as along as we have Recover in are arsenal you can't win- whether Starmie was paralyzed or not. Use Recover."

Red simply smiled, even as the Starmie began to heal, and Tempest's spirit rose- he wasn't backing down! He was embracing the battle! This was the kind of trainer she wanted!

"Pika!" She called, and Red gave her a few more snapping comands. Tempest understood what he was doing, and quickly reverted her strategy back into slamming Rock Smashes at the paralyzed Starmie.

Misty sighed, "Psywave as soon as the paralysis dies down," Misty said as she watched more sparks come off of her Pokemon. Tempest kept chipping away with her Rock Smashes, knowing how little it did. Tempest watched the orange glow seep into the Starmie, small bruises appearing over it's body. The sparks around it died down, and the gem started glowing. Tempest smashed one more Rock Smash at it, before bracing herself as the Psywave was release. The psychic move made a small headache spike as it hit it, and Starmie threw Tempest with a Rapid Spin.

The Pikachu spun around in mid air, making sure that she landed on all fours on an island as she fell. Starmie jumped out of the water, landing on the island closest to it, sparks beginning to form along its body as the paralysis acted up again. Misty desperately ordered it into another Recover, barely able to pull off the healing move before the paralysis took hold.

Tempest squared her body, tail up in the air as she faced the paralyzed Starmie. Tempest grinned, sparks flying from her cheeks. She was weakened from the damage she had taken so far, but she knew she had enough energy to pull off at least one more Volt Tackle, "Chu?" She asked Red, tail twitching. She heard the wonderful sound of Red snapping, and she lowered herself into a charging position, gathering energy for her Volt Tackle, "Pika... pika... pika..."

Misty snorted, "Do as you wish- you're only weakening yourself, and Starmie can take a Volt Tackle."

Tempest ignored Misty, and sprang forward, encased in a powerful veil of electricity. She sprang from her island, charging straight at the unmoving Starmie. She crashed into the water type, releasing a burst of electricity across the pool. The Starmie made no noise as the attack engulfed it, sending it flying back. The Starmie was knocked out of the pool, landing on the side. The crowd let out a small gasp, watching the Starmie lay there.

Tempest huffed, cringing at the recoil. She stumbled, knowing that one more attack would probably take her out. She forced herself to stay on two paws, coppery eyes staring at the Starmie, its gem blinking weakly. It's arms twitched, and for a moment Tempest was afraid it would stand again.

But the Starmie stayed laying on the ground.

"Misty's Starmie is unable to battle!" Calder cried, holding one arm up, "And since all of Misty's Pokemon are out- the challenger Red and his Pikachu win the match and the gym badge!"

The crowd let out a cheer, though there was a few unhappy cries at the announcement of Misty's lost. Relief ran through Tempest, and she allowed herself to sag down to the floating island, enjoying the way the waves gently made it bob in the water. Misty stood on the other end of the pool, blinking, clearly surprised. The gym leader then let a little smile flicker onto her face, and then recalled her fallen Starmie to its Pokeball.

She had won the battle! Tempest stretched, happiness rushing through her. She had won this gym battle- she had defeated the powerful trainer! Tempest turned her head, looking up at Red. There was the smallest of smiles on his face, but Tempest knew that truly he meant it.

_They_ had won the battle.

"The Rock Smashes," Misty muttered, walking down from her platform, "Rock Smash has the ability to lower a Pokemon's defensive powers- you used that to allow Starmie to be weak enough for the Volt Tackle to take it out."

Tempest pushed herself to her feet, jumping across the islands to the edge of the pool. She hopped up onto the side, racing across to Red's platform. Aiden let out a happy cry, scooping Tempest up in his arms as she reached him. Tempest let out a groan, though it didn't dim her spirits, and she slipped out of Aiden's grip, running up towards Red.

He knelt down to meet her, and Tempest quickly sprang up onto his shoulder. What had started out as a habit to bother Aiden had quickly become Tempest's favorite perch. Red's shoulder was quite comfortable to ride on, and was only a quick hop away from entering a battle. Much better than sitting in a Pokeball all day.

Tempest quickly noticed that Red was breathing as heavily as her, sweat sliding down his face as he pushed himself back to his feet. Cleo the Bellsprout was still resting in the crook of his arm, looking just as exhausted. Tempest was about to send a few sparks towards the annoying grass type, but paused before she did, looking towards Red.

"Thank you for a truly... interesting battle," Misty said as she approached Red and Tempest, smiling, "That Pikachu of yours is certainly filled with surprises."

"Pika!" Tempest sat up on Red's shoulder, beaming at the praise. Misty gave them another smile, pulling out a small object.

"It's been quite a while since I've handed out one of these..." Misty held out her hand, "But I am proud to present you with the Cascade Badge," Tempest peered over as Red reached to take the small metal badge, shaped like a droplet of water, "Proof that you defeated me in battle."

Red turned the small object over, looking over it carefully, a calculating look on his face, like he wasn't quite sure of what to make of it. He had been the same with the Boulder Badge- Tempest had seen him looking over it some nights, as if wondering if it could truly represent the battle he had been in. After a moment he looked up at Misty, giving her a nod, which Tempest understood to be his way of thanking her.

Red then looked at Tempest, his bright scarlet eyes meeting her coppery ones. Red didn't flinch or pull back, simply gazing at her. For a moment Tempest thought Red was going to say something, well, send more thoughts into her mind, but her head remained silent of foreign thoughts. He was still breathing heavily, and Tempest tilted her head. He looked just as tired as her- it must have taken a lot more energy than she realized to commune with her in battle like he had.

But he had done it anyways.

Tempest looked over Red happily, he hadn't fainted in his own exhaustion like he had back in his Pewter City gym battle, meaning that he was getting much stronger. He had also clearly done this battle of his own free will- and had enjoyed it.

Tempest pressed her head up against Red's cheek, nuzzling against him before giving him a small lick. He watched her for a moment, but she quickly turned away. This was _her _trainer after all- there was nothing wrong with showing him affection. She shot a glare down at their new team member, letting Cleo know that it would be a long time before she'd reach the same level that Tempest was at.

Tempest paused as she felt Red's hand reaching up scratching her behind the ear. Tempest blinked, before smiling once more. Aiden was down at Red's side, looking proud as if he had battled himself, but Tempest didn't care. He was part of her team after all, and Red was their trainer.

And Tempest wouldn't want anybody else to be her trainer.

* * *

**And so Red gets his second badge! :D**

**When it comes to gym battles (or any battles I guess), do you guys prefer Red's POV or his Pokemon's POV? Or an equal balance of both?**

**I hope that Tempest's "confusion" state wasn't to... confusing. xD Basically I never liked the way the anime showed a Pokemon when confused- and since there's so many different kinds of attacks that can cause confusion I like the idea that there are many different kinds of "confusion". In this story canon confusion is any side affect of an attack that distorts or misguides the target in anyway. **

**For example Tempest got confused by a Water Pulse attack, so basically everything was thrown off by having water in her eyes and ears, etc. While a confusion status by a Psybeam or a Confuse Ray would be triggered in different ways. A Psybeam might overload the target's mind causing the room the spin or give them an overwhelming headache due to psychic energy, while a ghostly Confuse Ray would mostly likely make the target ****hallucinate or become dizzy, etc.**

**And Pokemon don't randomly decide to hit themselves in confusion either. Damage from this comes from misjudging an attack while in the "confused" state, like when Tempest ran into the wall with a Quick Attack when trying to target Starmie.**

* * *

Red's Current Team:

**Aiden:** Charmelon/male. _Fire Fang, Dragon Dance, Metal Claw, and Ember_. Quirky nature.

**Tempest**: Pikachu/female. _Thundershock, Volt Tackle, Quick Attack, and Rock Smash_. Serious nature.

**Cleo:** Bellsprout/female. _Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, and Acid_. Hasty nature.


	17. Chapter 17

"Come on Kiku!" Aoi cried, "Hold on just a bit longer!"

"Bulba..." The Bulbasaur whimpered, trembling as she watched the Starmie. The runt of a Pokemon was on the end of her rope. Despite her type advantage in the gym, the miniature Bulbasaur had been struggling throughout Aoi's entire gym battle. Kiku had managed to take down Misty's first Pokemon, but it was quite clear that this Starmie was pushing her fragile limits.

"Psywave," Misty said quietly, hand on her hip as scanned the battlefield. The water type's gem glowed, releasing a burst of psychic energy across the pool. The Bulbasaur stumbled as the psychic waves hit her, cowering at the pressure bearing down on her head, "You're aware that poison types are weak to psychic attacks, correct?" Misty asked calmly, looking at Aoi.

The young trainer shifted, "It d-doesn't matter, we got this! Use Vine Whip!"

"Saur..." Kiku opened her eyes, her ruby gaze focused on her alien opponent, who was currently unmoving. The Bulbasaur pushed herself to its feet, two vines winding their way from the sides of her bulb. She lashed out with one, cracking it across the Starmie. It's gem pulsed quietly, but didn't seem to be affected by the attack.

"Rapid Spin, then go straight into another Psywave," Misty ordered with a snap.

Red sighed as he watched the Starmie come rushing at Aoi's Bulbasaur, striking the grass type at full speed. Aiden, the only Pokemon of Red's currently out, winced as his friend was sent flying into the pool. Without missing a beat the Starmie landed, twisting around as Kiku surfaced, gasping for breath. The gym was silent as the Starmie prepared another psychic attack, releasing the most powerful blast yet that Red had seen come from the Psywave.

The teen flinched as he watched the Bulbasaur crumble under the intense psychic pressure. Red knew all to well the effects of a psychic move, so he simply turned his head the other way as the Bulbasaur was declared unable to battle. Aiden glanced up at his trainer as Red closed his eyes, shaking slightly.

Aoi aimed the Pokeball at her starter, recalling her in a flash of red light. She stared down at the sphere for a moment, biting her lower lip, before looking over the rest of her Pokemon, who were still outside of their Pokeballs. Riku backed away, the pool clearly being the last place the Sandshrew wanted to be. Shou ruffled his feathers, but with his wing still bandaged up he was in no condition to battle.

"Karp!"

Aoi's eyes fell on her Magikarp, the fish flopping about at her feet. Mizu's eyes were bulging slightly as he watched his trainer. Aoi knelt down next to the Magikarp, who suddenly leapt up, smacking her in the face with his whole body by using Splash. His scaly form slid down Aoi's face, falling into her arms. He struggled in her grip some more, flailing about.

"Don't worry," Aoi said with a smile, "I told you that you could battle if Kiku was defeated, and I'm not about to break that promise," Red's stomach tightened as Aoi took a few steps towards the edge of her platform, holding the Magikarp out over the railing, "Mizu, I choose you!" Aoi called, and the Magikarp leapt out of her hands, diving into the pool.

Misty stared down at her next opponent, eyes narrowing slightly as Mizu surfaced, equally ungraceful in the water as he was on land. Aoi didn't seem to care as the thinning crowd, who were watching the gym battle, let out several chuckles as they watched the Magikarp splash about in the water.

"Why are you training a Magikarp?"

A few louder laughs echoed through the audience as Misty asked this question, her voice cold. Aoi looked up at the gym leader, blinking a few times, "It's a Pokemon... why shouldn't I?" She replied after a moment.

Misty crossed her arms, "You are aware that Magikarp have little battling ability, correct? When I saw your Spearow earlier I told you I would not battle an injured opponent. The same falls with this- I will not battle a Pokemon that can't even attack back. Send in another Pokemon."

Aoi scowled, "Mizu can battle just fine- give that Starmie a Tackle!"

"Karp!" Mizu cried, and the Magikarp jumped out of the water. He slammed into the Starmie, causing the Pokemon to wobble slightly. The Starmie quickly regained its balance, and Mizu slid down and landed in front of the Starmie, flopping helplessly on the island.

Misty's gaze narrowed, "So you've raised it to the point where it can properly attack, at least you have some proof that you're not sending in half trained Pokemon. But still, there is little you can do," Misty glanced at her Starmie, "Water Pulse."

A sphere of water was released from the Starmie, sending the Magikarp flying off of the island and across the pool. He landed on another floating island, where he started flopping about once more, "Karp! Karp! Karp!"

Mizu's call echoed through the gym, and Aoi shifted as Misty focused her gaze on Aoi, "Why are you training a Magikarp?" She asked again.

Aoi scowled, "It doesn't matter what kind of Pokemon he is! He still has feelings- and he can still battle! Mizu, get back into the pool with Splash!"

"Karp!" The Magikarp cried, jumping into the air, using the momentum to get him off of the island and into the water once more.

"Awesome! Now use Tackle again, Mizu!" Aoi shouted, and the red fish swam through the water, racing towards Starmie. He jumped out of the pool, tackling the Starmie again. The attack had the same results as before- with Mizu merely laying at the foot of the Starmie- his Tackle barely making it sway, "Get back into the water!"

"Karp!" Another Splash sent the Magikarp sailing back into the pool, swimming around the floating island as he waited for orders to attack. Misty ran a hand through her hair, muttering to herself. Aoi watched Misty, her eyes blinking uncertainly.

"You're suppose to be the water type trainer, aren't you?" Aoi asked, "You should fully be aware of what a Magikarp evolves into. The professor taught me all about-"

"It evolving is exactly why I'm telling you that training a Magikarp is a waste of time!" Misty snapped, her voice cutting Aoi off, causing everyone to fall silent as she continued, "I've raised several Magikarp in myself- and upon evolving they will not listen to comands given by their trainer- they attack! They're drawing on their natural instincts!"

Aoi blinked, while the sound of Mizu's calls echoed up through the gym, "Karp! Karp! Karp!"

"Gyarados are highly temperamental Pokemon, aggressive and dominant. In the wild you usually find them with a school of Magikarp, which is the only creatures they won't show aggression to," Misty crossed her arms, "However, a moment an outsider or another Gyarados shows up- even if it evolved from the same school- _they will attack. _When evolving a Gyarados fights the current alpha for its place, so when evolving under a trainer they will attempt to fight the trainer their place! If they lose in the wild they'll flee, so even defeating a captured one in battle with not make it submit- it constantly will try to get away or fight."

"Char?" Aiden whined, looking up at Red, who had noticeable gone still. The boy's eyes were dull and unfocused, thoughts locked away in another time.

"In order to properly train a Gyarados it must be captured from the wild, and after that much time and dedication must be spent in order to get close to it. They still will attack, they will attempt to battle and defeat their teammates, but most will not flee in these cases. A trainer must then establish some form of communication from the captured Gyarados- and _only_ then can it be trained to follow comands," Misty pointed towards Mizu, "Even if battled after evolution, Magikarp-raised Gyarados show nothing but hostility towards their trainer- either trying to defeat or flee from them. I have had trainers come to me with Gyarados in hopes I can help, only to release them in the end- which in turn makes a majority of the 'wild' Gyarados you find also untamable and hostile towards humans. A Gyarados's primal instinct is to find Magikarp- and stick to protecting their school to their dying breath. They are dangerous to train, and nearly impossible to without a powerful team to back you up."

"W-well, I don't care if my Pokemon evolve or not-" Aoi began.

"You are wasting your time as a trainer," Misty said quietly, "Magikarp are weak, do not win battles, and provide a trainer with nothing. Gyarados are wild and dangerous, especially to a young trainer like you. You should not be risking your safety to train an aggressive Pokemon- or the safety of your team," Misty squared her shoulders, "I will once more give you the chance to withdraw the Magikarp, and continue battling with another Pokemon as your second choice in this match."

Aoi scowled, "I promised Mizu that I would battle with him, and I'm not about to break that! Mizu, Tackle that Starmie once more!"

Red watched Misty's gaze hardened as the Magikarp slammed into the Starmie, but to no avail. Once more Mizu was left flopping on the floating island. Red watched as Misty's stance shifted, a colder tone entering her voice, "Very well then- we will battle against the Magikarp. Starmie, use Rapid Spin."

The still Starmie came to life, racing forward like a shuriken, striking Mizu as he tried jumping back into the water. While not the most powerful move, the force of the blow send the Magikarp flying away from the water, landing on the tiled floor. The red Pokemon jumped up, flopping like he always did as he found himself out of the water.

"Use Splash!" Aoi cried, and Mizu leapt high into air, with the intent of using the momentum to get back into the pool as he had done earlier.

Misty however was clearly expecting this tactic again, "Knock it back with a gentle Water Pulse," She muttered quietly. Starmie released the sphere of water, the attack colliding with the Magikarp. He was sent crashing into the tiled pool-side once more, unable to enter the water. He flopped back towards the edge, attempted to use Splash once more, but a snap from Misty send another Water Pulse in Mizu's direction. The Starmie landed on another island, fully ready to keep the Magikarp out of the pool.

"Karp!"

Misty gave Aoi an even gaze, "How do you intend to attack now?" She asked in a low tone, and Red shivered at her voice. He knew that tone of voice all too well, he knew what intentions they carried. Both Red and Aiden went still, chills spreading across them.

Aoi hesitated, her determination slipping away as the crowd let out a chuckle, "Spla-" She began.

"Water Pulse," Misty snapped, another sphere of water hitting Mizu. She watched Aoi, "We can keep this up all day- the Magikarp will not be allowed into the water. Water Pulse will do little to him, so he will not faint. Do you intend on dragging out this battle you can't win?"

Red wrapped his arms around himself- humiliation. He hated it, he feared it just as much as the pain. Yes, the pain always hurt, but the emotional hurt had always stung deeper with him. Physical pain always faded, it could be healed, only leaving small scars, but humiliation could not be healed. It would be remembered, forever seared away within one's mind. Powerless, mocked, and remembered.

His crimson eyes looked up at Misty, his respect for her slipping away. She was no longer battling to win, she was battling with the intent of humiliating Aoi. He could hear it in her voice, feel the shift in the way Starmie battled. Was this truly worth it to others? To hurt another to prove a point?

He watched Aoi shuffle back, hunching over slightly as she uncertainly scanned the battle. Red heard his heart thumping in his chest, a strange feeling washing over him as he watched Aoi's ever-present smile slowly fade away. A flash of rage ran through Red- happiness was precious, and they were taking that from Aoi.

Her cheeriness had once made Red merely cringe, but seeing it start to vanish was simply... wrong. It was apart of Aoi- it was always with her. Aoi hesitated again, watching as Mizu struggled back to the edge of the pool, only for another Water Pulse to send him back. The little fish was undeterred, and continued flopping towards the pool despite the lack of comands and his hindered progress. Another Water Pulse collided with him, and he flopped about some more, which made the crowd jeer as he continued forward.

"Mele..." Aiden growled, his sharp blue eyes looking towards Misty. The Charmeleon's scales were tense, his claws twitching in response from the anger he sensed from Red. His tail flicked, thumping against Red's leg as they watched the 'battle'. Red closed his eyes, reaching out towards Mizu's emotions with the intent of channeling his anger into the Pokemon. Perhaps he was not the strongest- but perhaps the rage would give the Magikarp the extra drive to show that it could do more than just flop about.

But to Red's surprise, Mizu was already filled with a boiling rage as he and Red connected. Though he didn't show it, a rush of anger overcame Red as Mizu's emotions came down on him. Red quickly withdrew out of Mizu's mind, quivering slightly, startled at the wealth of anger he had sensed. Not from what Misty had said about Mizu, but about what she had said to Aoi. Red looked towards the Magikarp as he flailed about on the edge of the pool, and a glow over took the Pokemon.

The crowd quickly fell silent as the light of evolution engulfed the Magikarp. Aoi stared at her Pokemon as he began to grow, his small thrashing form expanding tenfold. Dark red scales paled, gleaming white as the glow intensified, the Pokemon now easily dwarfing the humans scattering away from the pool, and he was still growing. His form began long and serpentine, rough ridges appearing along his body.

The harsh white light died down, and everyone was left staring up at the towering Gyarados. His once bright red scales were now a pale blue. White, spiky fins ran down his back. A pair of blue barbels hung near his gaping mouth, several large fangs gleaming as Mizu let out a snarl. He was coiled up on the side of the pool, but he jerked his head up towards the high ceiling, letting out a loud roar- and the crowd let out a scream.

"Stay calm!" Misty snapped, though she seemed paler than before, "It just evolved, its moveset is still limited!"

The Gyarados whipped his head towards Misty as she spoke, a low growl rattling his throat. She looked up at the Gyarados, unintimidated, though her hands drifted towards her small bag- where her Pokeballs were.

"Actually," Aoi said, and Misty looked towards her, "It's not," Aoi was holding her Pokedex in her hand, and she didn't seemed a bit alarmed at the giant sea serpent. She looked up from the device, grinning, "It seems that Gyarados learn a new move upon evolving- one that will work quite nicely on your psychic type."

Misty's eyes widened, and Mizu's teeth became highlighted in a dark aura. The Gyarados's large body uncoiled, his head diving down towards the pool. He seized Starmie in his gaping jaws, crunching down into the starfish with a super effective Bite. The Starmie made no sound, and the Gyarados whipped his head side to side, thrashing his prize. He released the Starmie mid-swing, sending it flying across the gym.

Starmie soared over Red's head, slamming into the wall of the gym. Dead silence echoed through the building as the Starmie flopped to the ground, only the sounds were the water lapping up against the edge of the pool, and the hushed breaths of the audience. Mizu was huffing, though he looked far from exhaustion. The Starmie's gym pulsed weakly, before dimming.

It took Calder, the battle judge, a moment to find his voice, "S-starmie is unable to b-battle... The match goes to Aoi and her G-gyarados..."

"Gyara!" Mizu let out another deafening roar, rearing his head up. The crowd scrambled back, and Misty pulled out two Pokeballs. She recalled her fallen Starmie without a word, stowing it's Pokeball away in her bag. She released a Golduck from the second sphere, the Pokemon taking shape right next to her. The water type stood ready at Misty's side, looking much more powerful than the team she had used in the gym matches.

Mizu whipped his gaze around to face Aoi. The teenage girl looked up at the towering Pokemon, unafraid. Her Sandslash ducking behind her, while her Spearow let out a harsh caw. The Gyarados uncoiled, slowly moving towards his trainer. Red hesitated, while Aiden took up a defensive position in front of him, and Red reached out mentally once more towards the water type, its emotions rushing through him.

"Golduck, use Psychic," Misty ordered, and the Golduck next to her raised its webbed hands. A psychic glow surrounded the gem on the Golduck and Mizu's head, which was surrounded in the psychic grip. He let out a roar as Golduck jerked its hand down, slamming the Gyarados's head to the ground with Psychic. Mizu snarled, starting to lash out against the psychic force.

"Wait!" Aoi cried, leaping down from the battle platform she had been standing on. Shou was nestled in her arm, Riku racing at her heels.

Without thinking Red stepped forward, forcing his way into Golduck's mind with little effort. Despite its psychic skills, it was not a true psychic type, and Red met little hindrance as he took hold of the Golduck's emotions in moments. He sent a pulse of fear racing through the duck Pokemon, and the Psychic around it sputtered out as the forced emotion took hold. Misty glanced at her Pokemon as it stumbled back, eyes wide with its fear of nothing. It lowered itself to the ground, cowering as Red made his way forward.

"Dos..." Mizu let out a low rumble as he was freed from the Psychic, looking straight at Aoi. He began to slither forward, gaze unblinking.

Misty was down from her platform as well, "Recall it-" She began, but Red stepped in front of her. He held up a hand, his eyes focused straight at Mizu. Misty stared at him, but couldn't seem to find her voice.

The Gyarados paused as he pulled up in front of his trainer, leaning down to get a better look at her. He snorted, sending a puff of hot air across Aoi's face. She said nothing, looking up at the mighty Gyarados as he brought his serpentine form around her. Riku wrapped his small claws around Aoi uncertainly as the Gyarados coiled around them. Aoi held out one hand, a small smile on her face, and Mizu lowered his head, pressing his snort against her outstretched palm.

Everyone watched in silence.

"Heh, you're not about to give up on me that easily, are you Mizu?" Aoi whispered, stroking the Gyarados. The water type closed his eyes, his whole body going still as Aoi continued petting him.

Misty slid past Red, eyes narrowed. She took several steps forward, studying Aoi through confused eyes. The gym remained silent, unsure of what to do, and then Misty strolled forward, her Golduck at her heels, freed from the false fear.

Mizu's eyes snapped open as he heard Misty's footsteps, and he whipped around, hissing. Aoi stumbled back as the Gyarados raised his head, coiling his entire body around tighter around Aoi, leaving her with just enough room to stand, shielding her from sight of the humans. Mizu's head rushed towards Misty, teeth outlined in the dark energy of a Bite.

Golduck raised her hand, surrounding her and Misty in a dome of green light. Mizu's Bite bounced off of the Protect, and Misty crossed her arms. The mighty Gyarados glared down at her, snarling, but didn't test the barriers of the Protect again.

"Your trainer won the battle," Misty said, her eyes looking straight into the Gyarados's, "Are you going to allow me to give her the badge that you have earned in her behalf?"

Mizu's cold red eyes narrowed, a snarl rattling from his throat. Misty didn't back down, maintaining eye contact as she waved her hand. Her Golduck lowered the Protect attack, the green energy fizzling away, leaving Misty vulnerable to the Gyarados. He snarled again, pupils narrowing.

"_Dos!"_ He lunged forward, feigning a snap of his jaws at Misty. She didn't flinch, his spit flying from his mouth. She wiped it from her shoulders, still keeping her eyes locked on Mizu.

"I have a Gyarados of my own- I know when you truly mean to attack," Misty said calming, everyone watching her in awe, "May I approach your trainer now?"

Mizu regarded her, and finally drew his head back. He uncoiled from around Aoi, where she was standing in confusion. Her Sandshrew was clutching her ankle, eyes wide in fear. Mizu brought his head in close to Aoi, letting out a low growl as Misty stepped forward.

"Spear!" Shou cawed, the Spearow pecking at Aoi as she tightened her grip around him.

Misty walked forward, ignoring the glaring Gyarados hovering over Aoi's shoulder, "You have won the battle- so as gym leader I am proud to present you with the Cascade Badge," She held out her hand, were a small blue badge laid waiting. Aoi's eyes lit up, and she snatched out of Misty's hands, holding it up to the light.

"We did it guys!" Aoi exclaimed in a hushed voice. She wrapped her hands around her badge, then looked up at Misty, "...So, untrainable Gyarados because instinct, huh?"

Misty shook her head, "Don't think you're special- your Gyarados is acting completely out of instinct," She looked up at Mizu, "It seems he's found his little school of Magikarp to protect: you."

Aoi blinked, "...Me?" She tilted her head back so she was looking up at the Gyarados, who was still glaring at Misty.

"Yes," Misty scanned Aoi, "...It is quite clear you are not a battle-centered trainer- your approach them as their companion, not a master... It seems that has resonated well with your Magikarp, and it seems he has decided that you need to be protected," She smiled slightly, "That is not an insult, by the way, it means you have truly earned his trust of friendship," Misty hesitated, "...Forgive me for how I acted during our battle- I believe you have shown me that I was the one that was wrong."

Aoi shuffled a bit, "...Sure?"

Misty sighed, turning, "Calder, get me number three, would you?"

The stunned battle judge, who still seemed to be trying to process everything, looked up at Misty, "Ma'am...?"

"Calder, number three, now," Misty repeated, looking up at Mizu, who snarled at her.

"Y-yes ma'am!" He cried, turning as hustling towards a room labeled 'employees only'.

"Number three...?" Aoi asked uncertainly.

Misty was stretching, looking towards the crowd, "The gym battle is over- go back to swimming or leave- there is no reason for you to linger here," They muttered, slowly dispersing, and Misty turned back towards Aoi, "Yes, a gift for how I treated you.

Aoi didn't reply, still looking at Misty with hestaition. Red watched the two girls, his crimson eyes deep in thought. He made no attempt to join them- he didn't seem eager to approach the Gyarados. Aiden remained by his side, his emotions swinging between his own and Red's churning ones. After a few minutes Calder came running out of the backroom, a small item clutched in his hands.

"H-here you go ma'am!" He cried, huffing in exhaustion, "Technical machine, number three."

Misty took the case from him, turning it over in her hands once, while Aoi stared, "W-wait," She said, stunned, "An actual technical machine?!"

Misty flipped open the case, where a small blue disk was resting inside. She snapped it shut, then held it out towards Aoi, "Yes, this is an actual technical machine- TM03, Water Pulse. The same move I used in battle against you today. While it's no Hydro Pump it has decent power, a good move to teach your Gyarados."

"You can't just give me a TM!" Aoi cried, "Those are so rare!"

Misty shoved the disk towards Aoi, "I can give it to you- I am the gym leader here. You will take it or else I'll throw it into the bottom of the pool," Aoi stared at her, quickly realizing she was serious, and hastily took the disk case from her. Misty continued, "Now Gyarados do much better with physical attacks, but those moves are rare among water types. Gyarados also don't naturally learn water attacks until far past their evolution- so you can use that TM to give him one for now."

"Th-thank you," Aoi stuttered, looking over the small disk with awe, "W-wow... even my dad rarely uses TMs with his Pokemon..."

Misty gave Aoi a curious glance, "Is your father a trainer?"

Aoi's eyes widened, "Um- well yes- technically, he has Pokemon- b-but he's more of a businessman and..." She trailed off, eyes flickering about the room, but Misty didn't press her.

"This TM is a basic one- it can only be used once. In other regions it's easier to get a hold of the more complex TMs- some that can let you teach the move sometimes up to a dozen times!" Misty chuckled, "But don't thank me- you deserve it," Misty looked back a Red, "I take it you two will be challenging Sabrina next?" She asked, "Saffron City has the next closest gym."

Aoi's eyes widened, "I didn't realize we were that close to Saffron!" Aoi looked over towards Red, hesitating, "But the tickets Bill gave us... I don't think we'll have time to stay in Saffron long if we want to reach Vermilion in time... There's a gym there too- I think- is that okay with you Red if we skip Saffron for now?"

She gave Red a pleading look- as if Saffron was the last place she wanted to go. The boy blinked, then shrugged. He didn't truly know the cities- the only map he had was the one he was forming in his head as he traveled with Aoi. The only place that had felt slightly familiar had been Viridian City- everywhere else was just as foreign as the last.

"Vermilion, huh...?" Misty's lips twisted, "I wish you luck with Surge, he works with electric types, no place for your Gyarados."

Aoi looked up at Mizu one last time, then pulled out his Pokeball, "You did well, get some rest," The Gyarados made no movement as he recalled into the sphere. Aoi looked at Red, and to his relief he saw her now familiar smile spreading across her face, "Hopefully Forest gets his badge soon- because I'm not waiting for him!"

* * *

**No underground paths in this story. It's stupid and doesn't make sense- why would there be a random underground tunnel below a huge city that's open to the public? Maybe a subway, but not a tunnel. Red and Aoi can walk through Saffron City to reach Vermilion like normal human beings.**

**I've been waiting to have Mizu evolve for some time now... You have silly little Aoi, now with a giant over-protective sea serpent to back her up! xD It was also fun creating some headcanons about Gyarados training, playing off of their aggression, and to everyone's aversion in the Pokemon world to training Magikarps (even though you get a giant sea serpent in the end).**

**I've also really liked the idea of that as fierce as Gyarados are, that they just sweet with Magikarp- protecting the helpless creatures they once were. That's how Mizu sees Aoi- she's his little school of Magikarp that he must protect! :)**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter we will finally be out of Cerulean City!**


End file.
